


Until the End of the Semester

by gyroscopefour



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, One Night Stands, Pining, Sexting, Slow Burn, professor student relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-06-14 07:18:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 20,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15383550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gyroscopefour/pseuds/gyroscopefour
Summary: Luke Skywalker goes to his first class of the semester only to find out that his professor is also his recent one night stand.  Both Luke and Professor Solo seem interested in continuing their relationship, but the university has a policy against student-professor relationships.  The pair decide to avoid involvement until the end of the semester.  That is, if they can wait that long.





	1. Monday Morning is Always the Worst

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I hope you like the first chapter. There will be many more to come.

Luke couldn’t focus on the syllabus because he was too busy thinking about the way his professor’s dick had felt in his ass. Naturally, Luke hadn’t known Han was his professor at the time. He and Leia had just moved into their apartment a few days before class started, and they went out to a bar to have some fun. Luke went home with a guy, completely unaware that the same guy would be teaching his Monday morning lecture.

Luke kept his head down and tried to follow along with Professor Solo on the syllabus, but he couldn’t get the hot sex from two nights ago out of his brain. He crossed his legs uncomfortably, trying to get control of his growing erection.

Luke pulled out his phone and texted under his desk to Leia, “You’ll never guess who I found.”

Her reply was immediate, “The guy from the bar? Tell him I said hi!”

Luke swallowed. “I haven’t exactly talked to him yet. But I found him.”

Leia responded, “Is he in your class?”

“Sort of,” Luke texted. “He’s teaching it.”

Leia sent a wild array of emojis, including many eggplants. “You banged your professor????” She proceeded to send several thumbs up emojis.

Luke sent back a nervous emoji and locked his phone. His eyes returned to the syllabus, but listening to his professor’s voice was getting him hot under the collar, even if Han was just talking about his policy for test corrections.

Professor Solo wrapped up his syllabus and then gave a brief introduction to the topics they would study in the course. The time dragged on for Luke, but somehow, he was still startled when Professor Solo ended his lecture.

“I guess that about wraps up what I have to say,” Professor Solo said, clicking past the last introductory slide on his presentation. “There’s still about five minutes before the bell rings. You all can go, but if you don’t have a pressing obligation, I would love to meet you personally.”

Luke shot a quick text to Leia, asking her if he should go up to Professor Solo or sneak out the exit at the back of the lecture hall.

“Why are you even asking that question? Go see him!” Leia responded.

Another text came in shortly after. “Just make sure to hang back until most of the other kids have left. Don’t wanna catch him off guard in front of the rest of his students.”

“So right, as always,” Luke sent back. He stood up and began gathering his things slowly, waiting for most of the students to introduce themselves and then file out of the room.

When just a handful of students were left, Luke picked up his backpack and wandered towards Professor Solo’s podium. When Luke was about halfway down the stairs, he dared to look up and instantly locked eyes with his professor. Han’s expression went from vague recognition to very pale in a matter of seconds.

Luke broke the eye contact quickly, and steeled himself as he continued down the steps. The last of the students were leaving now; it was just the two of them left in the lecture hall.

“Oh my god,” Han murmured quietly as Luke reached the podium.

“Hi,” Luke said. His face felt hot and his palms were sweaty.

“Are you in this class?” Han asked. Luke nodded. Han sighed deeply, dragging a hand down his face. “You realize this means I rescind the offer I made about you calling me, right?”

“What?” Luke asked, trying not to get offended.

“Look, Luke, as a staff member at the university-” Han continued speaking, but Luke could only focus on the butterflies in his stomach. Han had remembered his name.

Han stopped explaining for a moment, as if a thought had just occurred to him. “Wait, how old are you?”

“Nineteen,” Luke mumbled, crossing his arms in front of himself.

Han stood up. “Oh my god. Nineteen. I’m a damn cradle robber. I disgust myself.”

“Okay,” Han started nodding. “This is what we’re gonna do. You’re the student and I’m the professor and that’s it. There’s nothing more to this relationship.” He stuck out his hand. “I look forward to working with you, Luke.”

Luke didn’t take Han’s hand. “Don’t I get a say?” he asked.

Han retracted his hand. “If you want to continue your education, this is your say.”

Luke nodded, processing. “Then I look forward to working with you, Professor Solo,” he said, dryly. Luke adjusted the strap of his backpack and turned around, striding up the steps toward the exit.

*~~*~~*

The little cafe in the social sciences building was bustling with activity as students, TAs, and professors purchased lunches. Lando sat down with his sandwich, across from Han.

“You’ll never guess who is a student in my Intro to Archaeology class,” Han said.

“Good morning to you, too,” Lando laughed, wrapping his sandwich. “So I assume your first class of the day was interesting.” Han nodded, chewing his sandwich and swallowing.

“You have to guess,” Han said.

Lando gave a shrug. “The Queen?”

Han rolled his eyes and leaned in. “My one night stand.”

Lando pulled back. “No way!” He took a bite of his sandwich, chewing with a scandalized expression on his face.

“Unfortunately.” Han sighed giving Lando a pitiful look. “I didn’t even notice him until he came up to me after class. Oh my god, you should have seen him. He looked so sweet with his backpack and tousled hair.”

Lando grabbed Han’s wrist. “Okay, just stop there, Han. You cannot do that.”

“What am I doing?”

“Fawning over a student,” Lando snapped, putting his sandwich down. “You shouldn’t even be talking about it.”

“I think he likes me. His face fell when I told him not to call me.” Han paused for a minute, taking another bite of his sandwich. “Oh, did I tell you he’s only nineteen? I’m going straight to hell.”

Lando grimaced into his sandwich. “You’re going to hell, alright, but there’s nothing straight about you.”

Han flicked a napkin at Lando. “You’re right though. I need to get him out of my head. I told him there was nothing between us save a professional relationship in the academic setting.”

“That’s surprisingly mature of you,” Lando said.

“Well, I’m not about to risk getting fired over some twink,” Han said, opening his bag of chips. “Not even if his ass is the best ass on the planet.

“Not even if his ass is the best ass in the galaxy?” Lando chuckled.

“Not even then,” Han said, punctuating his statement with a bite into a crunchy chip.

They moved on to discuss Lando’s morning lectures. The politics professor had several classes before taking an early lunch with Han. Han tried to focus on the conversation, but his thoughts kept drifting back to a certain pretty blond with the clearest blue eyes.

*~~*~~*

“You slut!” Leia said loudly, sitting down in the booth across from her brother and Biggs. Several people nearby gave the trio a quick judgmental look before returning to their meals.

“Whoa,” Biggs said, reaching out placatingly to Leia. “What’s that about?”

“Tell him, Luke,” Leia said, gesturing with her fork.

Luke buried his red face in his hands. “I don’t really want to say it out loud.”

Leia patted her brother’s shoulder from across the table. “You know Mr. Hottie McOneNightStand?”

“From the bar?” Biggs asked. “The one that gave Luke that giant hickey?” 

Luke rubbed at his collarbone. Even though his shirt covered the hickey, it was still embarrassing. 

Leia smirked. “Yes, that one. It turns out that he’s actually Professor Hottie McOneNightStand, and he’s teaching Luke’s morning class.”

Biggs stared at his friend, mouth gaping. Luke peered out from behind his fingers to gauge his friend’s reaction and groaned when he made eye contact.

“It’s all okay though,” Luke protested, scrambling for any semblance of damage control. “We decided to keep our relationship strictly professional. Just professor and student.”

Biggs and Leia laughed, making Luke frown. “Yeah, as if that’ll last,” Leia said.


	2. Nothing But Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke is dressing cute, and Han can't control his feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is up! Thanks for reading.

On Wednesday, Luke was awake early. He was dressed and out the door before Leia had even entered the common space. Luke bounced down the street, granola bar in one hand and phone in the other. He was sorting through his music, looking for a good song to listen to on the walk to class. He settled on one of his favorites from a few years back. He let the music carry him to class, chewing on his crunchy granola bar gently so as to not drown out his music.

Luke arrived at the building of natural science twenty minutes before class started. He ducked into the bathroom and fixed his hair in the mirror. He splashed a little water on his face and then stepped back from the mirror to admire his outfit. Luke had put on the tightest pair of jeans he owned. They accentuated the curve of his butt. He fidgeted with the hem of his v-neck, trying to decide whether to tuck it in or leave it out. The collar was just high enough to barely be on this side of slutty. His hickey peeked out of the shirt. It was mostly faded, but Luke was sure it was still noticeable. Deciding to leave his shirt untucked, Luke gave his hair one last adjustment before heading out and down the hall to his class. 

Surprised to see multiple seats already filled, Luke walked into the lecture hall slowly. He scanned the seats available to him. Most were still empty, so Luke decided to take a seat in the second row. It was close enough that he could make eye contact with Professor Solo, but he could still hide his phone under his desk for a quick text to Leia if necessary.

Luke scrolled through twitter, watching the clock slowly creep towards 9:00. The lecture hall slowly filled with more students, and a busy chatter enveloped the room. 

At five til, Professor Solo entered the room from the front, setting his bag down by the podium. He pulled out his laptop and plugged it into the projector. The projector screen whirred to life and displayed his desktop background, a photo of him and several others on the beach. They all had their arms around each other and they were holding beers and giving thumbs up.

Professor Solo was right in the middle of picture, shirtless and smiling. There was that strong chest and the faint abdominals stretching across his stomach. The photo got a few whistles from the back of the class. 

Professor Solo laughed nervously, running a hand through his hair. “That’s from a couple years back,” he said, blushing. “I don’t quite look like that anymore.”

Luke fixed him with a stare. He had seen Han naked, and the man most definitely still looked like that. The man kept his body mostly hidden under his suit, but Luke knew. Professor Solo met Luke’s eyes for the briefest of moments before turning away.

Professor Solo started the lecture at exactly 9:00. Luke tried to follow along with his notes, but ended up focusing on practicing his signature on the syllabus he got last class. Luke Solo, he wrote over and over. It felt too strange and yet somehow, oddly perfect.

Luke caught himself and scribbled out the signatures. Why did he write them in pen? Luke caught up with the notes as well as he could. Archaeology wasn’t exactly riveting to him, but he had to take a natural science elective. With his busy schedule, it was either this or modern physics. Luke settled in for the rest of the hour, taking notes as diligently as he could.

There was no way he was going to let himself fail this class.

*~~*~~*

“Lando, you should have seen him,” Han said as they stood in the cafe line to buy their sandwiches. “It’s like he was trying to get me to look at him. I could see the hickey I gave him peeking out of the collar of his shirt.”

“You hope that’s one you gave him,” Lando teased.

Han smirked, bumping arms with his best friend. “How were your classes this morning?”

Lando grinned. “Good. I had a kid throw up in the middle of my 8 A.M.”

Han made a face. “Why is that good?”

Lando chuckled. “It’s not,” he said. “That was unrelated to my opinion of how class went. The poor kid knew it was about to happen, too. He was rushing to get out of the class and just puked all over the aisle.”

“That’s disgusting,” Han said. They moved to the front of the line and Han paid for his sandwich then stepped aside so Lando could do the same. 

“Yeah. It was. Fortunately, someone went for the custodial staff. They were really nice and cleaned the room. I had to take my students on an impromptu field trip, however. Didn’t want anyone else getting sick from the smell.”

“Where did you take them?” The pair sat down at a table and began unwrapping their sandwiches.

“Most of them were first years, so I took them on a mini tour of campus. At this point, I figure they can probably get to their classes alright, so I showed them the tiny cafe across from the library and then we walked to the football stadium and I showed them which entrance to go in for the best seats.”

Han laughed. “I can’t believe you let them get out of a lecture like that.”

Lando grinned. “I didn’t,” he chuckled. “I lectured the entire time except to briefly show them the locations. It was a small class, only about thirty-five kids, so I made it work. Some of them were trying to take notes and walk at the same time, poor things.” They shared a laugh. “So what are you going to do about your little crush?”

Han scowled. “It’s not a crush. I have removed feelings from the equation. I just can’t be expected to pretend like it’s normal to teach my one night stand in class.”

Lando shrugged. “You’re right about it not being normal at least. You should really take more of an interest in people your own age.”

Han made a face. “I thought he was older. He was in the bar, wasn’t he?”

“Don’t pretend like you didn’t know what you were doing, Han. I’ve seen your taste in men.”

Han cracked a grin. “I think you just insulted yourself.”

“Hey,” Lando said, swatting Han’s arm playfully. “I was a long term relationship. Not a one night stand.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I came to my senses about you.”

Lando smiled easily. “I believe it was the other way around. I was the one who realized I deserved better,” he winked at Han.

Han laughed, trying to think of a good comeback. His mind was blank, so he let them fall into a comfortable silence. They ate their sandwiches quietly, enjoying each other’s company.

After a time, a thought occurred to Han. “Do you think he’ll show up in my office hours?” Han asked.

“Who? The one night stand?”

Han nodded, chewing his sandwich. “Yeah. I mean, it would be kinda nice to talk to him. See where he stands in all of this.”

Lando made a soft pitiful noise. “You care about his feelings,” he said, his voice dripping with condescension.

Han brushed Lando off. “I wanna make sure he’s not gonna report me to the dean for inappropriate conduct.”

Lando shrugged. “Your life is full of inappropriate conduct. I still think you’re making a big deal out of nothing. He’s likely just going to pretend nothing happened and lay low for the semester. And you should, too.”

“We’ll see,” Han said. “Tonight’s the first night I’m holding office hours. If he stops by, I’ll know he likes me back. He couldn’t possibly be struggling with homework yet.”

“For his sake, I hope he stays away from you. You’re nothing but trouble.”

“I resent that,” Han snapped, but he could feel the playful grin on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you go! I hope you enjoyed. Message me on tumblr at gyroscopefour. I'd love to talk to you!


	3. Office Hours and Something Dour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Han find out more about each other. Luke discovers something Han never meant for him to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a longer chapter this time. I hope you enjoy.

“Is it too much if I change clothes?” Luke asked, scrutinizing his reflection in his mirror. Biggs groaned and flopped back on Luke’s bed.

“Yes, Luke. All of this is too much. Just don’t go to see him. We can go get froyo if you want.”

“As tempting as that is, I have to know where I stand with Professor Solo. I like him a lot. More than anyone else I’ve ever been with.”

Biggs sighed. “You haven’t ‘been with’ that many people Luke. Can’t you just let it go? He probably wants to forget the whole thing.”

“I’m going, Biggs. I’ll text you when I’m done, and we can get froyo afterwards. We can meet at the little place on North Avenue.”

Biggs got up to walk Luke to the door. “Fine, but is it cool if I stay here until then? My new roommate is nasty as hell. There was a sock on the door handle earlier this afternoon, and I don’t want any part of that.”

Luke made a face. “Yeah, definitely. Get a head start on that calculus homework, will you? I’m not sure I can handle that by myself.”

Biggs gave a nod of affirmation as Luke stepped out the door. Luke trotted down the block to campus and made his way to the natural sciences building. Luke took the elevator, using the ride to fix his hair and wipe the corners of his mouth. He stepped out of the elevator and made his way down the hall to Professor Solo’s office. The door was pulled to, so he knocked lightly before pushing it open.

The professor was buried in his computer, but looked up to see Luke. An expression of pleasant surprise washed over Han’s face.

“Hi, Luke,” he said. “Can I help you with something?”

“Yeah, I was wondering if I could get to know you a little better,” Luke said quietly. Noticing the weird expression on Han’s face, Luke paused to clarify. “It’s a new research thing. Apparently, students do better in a class when they know about their professor’s life. A personal connection or something like that.”

Han resisted the urge to make an inappropriate comment. He swallowed and forced a smile. “Sure, Luke. What do you want to know?”

Luke sat down in the chair next to Han. “Can you tell me about your research?”

“Interested in research are you?” Luke nodded and Han continued. “I technically don’t have an official research project. I mostly study and collect artifacts for the university’s collection.”

Luke’s eyes wandered to the bookshelf behind Han. “Are those some of the artifacts you’ve collected?”

Han chuckled. “No. Most of the stuff I take retrieve is far too valuable to be on an office shelf. But I do have souvenirs from some of those trips. Mostly little stuff.”

“Can I see?” Luke asked.

Han turned around, scanning the shelves for something Luke might like. “Here.” He picked up a woven cuff and handed it to Luke who examined it with curious eyes.

“It’s a bracelet from the Quechua people. I got it over the summer when I spent some time in South America.”

Luke ran his fingertips over the twists of the rope. His hand came to rest over the jewel in the middle. “It’s beautiful,” he murmured.

Han opened his mouth, but closed it again when he realized what he was about to say. Luke was stunning, turning the bracelet over in his hands, eyes wide with wonder. His smile was striking, and it made Han’s heart beat just that much faster.

Han shook himself out of his stupor. “So what are you studying, Luke?”

Luke looked up at Han, still holding the bracelet. “Aerospace engineering. I want to revolutionize air travel as we know it.”

“That’s really cool, kid. I’ve always admired engineers. Almost became one myself, you know.”

“You did?” Luke asked.

Han chuckled. “Yeah, I spent my first year of college working on engineering classes and then I decided to go back to archaeology. That’s my passion.”

The pair sat in easy conversation until Han’s office hours were over. Luke waited for Han to lock up, and they walked out together.

“I’m this way,” Han said when they got to the door. 

“Okay,” Luke said, trying to hide his disappointment. “I’ll see you next time.”

“I look forward to it.” The words had left Han’s mouth before he could stop himself.

*~~*~~*

Luke met Biggs at the froyo shop with a huge grin on his face.

“Did he admit his undying love to you?” Biggs asked with a smile.

“No,” Luke said. “But he didn’t push me away either. Did you know he’s actually gone to forty different countries? And he’s fluent in nine languages?”

Biggs shook his head, laughing. “You’ve got it so bad,” Biggs said. “Nine languages is pretty impressive.”

Luke nodded. “He can read a whole bunch of other languages, too.”

The pair bought some yogurt and sad down at one of the tables outside the shop. “Smart older men. Luke, I think you have a type.”

Luke looked scandalized. “He is not that much older than me.” He paused for a minute. “I actually don’t know how old he is.”

Biggs stuck his spoon in his mouth and pulled his laptop out of his bag. “Let’s look him up then.” Biggs pulled up the university’s website and clicked on the staff directory. He scrolled down to Professor Solo and clicked on his picture. The link pulled up with his credentials and information.

“Wow,” Biggs said, admiring the picture. “He’s good-looking.”

“You haven’t seen him yet?” Luke asked.

Biggs shook his head. “I only knew what you told me about a hot guy at a bar.”

Luke shrugged, reaching over to scroll down the page. His eyes roved around, searching the page. “Oh my god, he’s twenty-nine?” Luke said.

Biggs seemed relatively unmoved. “A little old for you, but not bad. Now come on,” he said, switching tabs on his laptop. “We’ve gotta get cracking on the calculus if we want to finish before this place closes.”

*~~*~~*

It was Monday evening, and Han was in his office, playing solitaire on his computer. Office hours were always slow at the beginning of the semester.

Han pulled out his phone and texted Lando, “no sign of him yet.” He put his phone on the desk and went back to his solitaire until his phone chimed. 

The reply from Lando said, “Will you stop? You’re like a teenage girl, waiting by the phone for her crush to call.”

Han was typing out a smug reply when there was a knock on the open door. Han looked up to see Luke hovering the doorway. The boy was dressed in the shortest shorts Han had ever seen. The cut of the shorts framed his thighs nicely. Han wanted to lay the younger man across his desk and bite at those thighs until Luke was crying for more.

Han shook himself out of his stupor and set his phone down, meeting Luke’s gaze. “Hey, Luke. How can I help you?”

“Hi, Professor Solo. I just thought I’d stop by on my way to the gym because I was having a little trouble signing up for the online homework. Would you mind helping me?”

Han grinned. “Of course, Luke.” He pulled up a chair for the young man to sit on. “What can I do?”

Luke returned the smile and dropped his gym bag on the floor, fishing out his laptop. “I just need some clarification on the sign up page.” He opened his laptop and pointed to the blank spaces on the screen. “I don’t know what to put in here,” he said.

“Oh, that’s easy. It’s just the course number and my instructor code. They were on the syllabus. Do you still have it?”

Luke blushed, remembering the doodles he had made on the syllabus. “Uh, not in my gym bag,” he said.

“That’s okay. I got an email from the provider about the codes a while ago. I’ll have to hunt for it, but it should still be in my archives.”

Luke mumbled out a thanks and sat back in his chair to watch his professor scour his past emails. The man had on glasses, which Luke had never seen before. He opened his mouth to comment on it, but Professor Solo spoke before he could.

“Here it is,” he said, rolling his chair back so Luke could see the email. Luke leaned forward and began copying the codes into his laptop.

Han picked up his phone to see a text from Lando. “You haven’t responded in a while. He’s there, isn’t he?”

Han typed out a reply, “Yes, and he’s on his way to the gym. He’s wearing these short shorts, and I swear an ass never looked so good.”

Luke leaned back in his chair, continuing to type. “Thanks,” he said. “And you’ve got a new email.”

Han set his phone down and rolled back to his computer, clicking on the new email. It was his TA, sending the lesson plan draft for Tuesday classes. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment,” Han said, standing up. “I’m just going to grab this off the printer down the hall.” Luke nodded, and Han left the boy in his office. The lesson plan was still warm when he picked it up off the printer.

When he got back to his office, his stomach leapt up into his chest. Luke was holding his phone and looking at the messages.

“What is this?” Luke asked quietly. 

Han stared blankly.

“What is this?” Luke asked a bit louder. 

Han stuttered, trying to arrange his words. “Luke, I-”

“You told me you didn’t have any feelings for me whatsoever, but this says otherwise,” he pointed the phone at Han.

Finally gathering his thoughts, Han snapped, “Why were you snooping through my phone?” He snatched his phone back.

Luke was taken aback by the change in Han’s tone. His expression faltered for a moment before he returned to his previous anger. “You lied to me,” he said, his voice was borderline tearful, and Han almost felt bad for a moment.

“And you violated my trust,” Han said, raising his voice. “This is why it would never work, Luke. You’re immature and stupid, and you can’t let go of these feelings.” Han regretted it as soon as he said it, but there was no taking it back now.

Luke’s face fell, and Han wanted to take back everything and hug the younger man until he felt better. But he couldn’t do that. His eyes dropped to the floor. “I’ll see you in class on Friday,” he said quietly. 

Weakly, Luke put his laptop back in his bag, slug it over his shoulder, and left Han stewing in his regret.

Luke did not go to the gym that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you go. Sorry to end on some angst. Thanks for reading. Kudos and comments are major motivation to continue this story. Hit me up on tumblr at gyroscopefour if you wanna talk about Star Wars or anything else your heart desires. I'd love to hear from you.


	4. Luke's Makeover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a brutal rejection from Han, Luke finds a new way to cope. Han deals with the guilt of rudely rebuffing his crush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You people did this to me. I was going to have a relaxing night, but you came in with your kudos and your comments and your support. How dare you inspire me to write like this.
> 
> But for real, thank you so much for supporting this story. It means a lot.
> 
> Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

Luke unlocked the door to his apartment, hoping to slink to his room unnoticed. Unfortunately, Leia was still in the kitchen, munching on a bag of chips. She looked up as Luke entered and immediately crossed to him, abandoning her chips on the counter.

“Luke, what’s wrong?” She pulled him into a hug.

In his sister’s embrace, Luke’s dam finally burst. He sobbed into her shoulder. “He rejected me. He called me stupid.” His voice was thick with tears and quivering.

Leia pulled her brother into the living room and sat him down on the couch. “Is this about that professor?” She wrapped her arm around Luke, and he leaned in.

Luke nodded. “It’s pathetic. I know.” He turned his face into her shoulder and sniffed. 

“It’s not pathetic, Luke. You have every right to be upset. No teacher should ever call you stupid or lead you on like that. It’s an abuse of power, and frankly, I think you should report him.” Leia squeezed her brother’s hand protectively.

Luke sat up. “I can’t report him. He technically hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“He hurt you,” Leia said indignantly. “Professors can’t treat their students that way.”

Luke was about to reply when a knock at the door distracted him. Leia got up to answer the door. It was Biggs. He peeked into the apartment.

“Is Luke here? We had plans to work on dynamics together.”

Luke appeared behind Leia. “Can we reschedule, Biggs? I’m not feeling well tonight.”

Biggs pushed his way into the apartment, grabbing Luke by the arms. “You’ve been crying. What happened?”

“Professor Hottie McOneNightStand broke our sweet boy’s heart,” Leia said. “And he wasn’t gentle about it either.”

Biggs’ mouth dropped open. “That’s terrible! What happened?”

Luke explained seeing the texts on Professor Solo’s phone and confronting him about it only to be rebuffed and insulted. He started crying again. Leia grabbed some tissues and ushered the group onto the couch. 

“So why did you look at his phone?” Biggs asked. 

Luke let out a shuddering breath. “I didn’t mean to. He just left it unlocked right there in front of me. And it went off. My eyes just kind of read it before I could think.”

Biggs shrugged. “I guess that’s fair. You still probably should have kept your eyes to yourself.”

Luke gave his friend a teary eyed look. “I’m really sad right now, okay? I don’t need this.” Biggs threw his hands up in surrender, and Leia put an arm around each of them.

“You two jerkoffs need to play nice,” Leia said. 

“Hey, Skyboy,” Biggs said. “I know what you need.”

“What’s that?” Luke asked, wiping the tears from his eyes.

“You need to show that professor what he’s missing. Clearly, he wouldn’t have had a one night stand with you if he didn’t find you attractive. So let’s rub it in his face.”

Luke couldn’t help but perk up a bit at the suggestion. “How so?”

“You’re gonna look hot as hell every time you go to class,” Biggs said. “I’ve got a plan. Come on.” He got up, dragging Luke back to the boy’s bedroom. “We’ve got to pull together some outfits for Wednesday and Friday. And on Saturday, we’re going shopping for clothes with a ‘slutty yet tasteful’ aesthetic.” Luke smiled at his friend.

Biggs opened Luke’s closet and turned around to face him. “Now where are your shortest shorts?”

*~~*~~*

Han set his bottle of whiskey on the coffee table, flopping back on the couch. He flipped through the TV channels, looking for something to suit his dark mood. Before he could settle on something, his phone lit up. Lando was calling.

Han lowered the TV volume and answered his phone. “Hello?”

“Tell me you didn’t,” Lando said.

“Didn’t what?” Han asked. His words were thick from the alcohol.

Lando sighed. “I swear, if you touched that boy, I will report you myself.”

“I didn’t touch Luke,” Han said. “Quite the opposite in fact.”

“Then why didn’t you reply to my messages?”

Han couldn’t help the anger the bubbled up. “He saw the messages, you dick. He confronted me about them.”

“What did you say?” Lando asked.

“I told him not to snoop in other people’s phones. That it’s rude.” Han could feel the anger leave and the guilt return, heavy and dark. “I think I really hurt him.”

Han could hear Lando sigh through the speaker. “No kidding, Han. The kid seems really sensitive.” Neither man said anything for a moment, letting the conversation hang in the air. “But it seems like he hurt you, too.”

Han tried to suppress the sadness and guilt. “This shouldn’t be happening to me. I shouldn't be feeling this way.”

“Well, you are,” Lando said. “You’re going to have to deal with it one way or another. How about I bring over some drinks? We can watch Friends until you feel better. Or at least until you’re drunk enough to ignore your problems.”

Han smiled. “I’m already halfway there. I’ll leave the door unlocked for you.”

*~~*~~*

Han entered the his classroom on Wednesday morning, unable to stop his eyes from searching for Luke. The boy was in the back of the class, buried in his phone.

Another wave of guilt washed over him, but he shoved it aside. The kid was clearly fine. Upon further review, he seemed almost too fine.

Luke scrolled lazily through his social media feeds, switching between various apps whenever he got bored. He could feel Professor Solo’s eyes on him, but he didn’t dare look up. 

Luke had gotten the plan from Biggs. The goal was to look as hot as possible while remaining as aloof as possible. With jeans tight around his thighs and a muscle tank showing just the barest hint of obliques, Luke felt incredibly good about himself. He had even paused on his way out the door earlier to take a few selfies, a rarity for him.

Luke had even borrowed some of Leia’s conditioner. His hair felt so soft and smooth that Luke had resolved to purchase some for himself.

As Professor Solo began the lecture, Luke kept his eyes on the notes. He avoided all eye contact with Professor Solo as he wrote, only taking sparing glances up at the projector.

When class ended, Luke lingered for a moment. He waited for most of the other students to leave. He was almost sure Professor Solo stared at his lazy stretch. Luke raised his arms above his head, letting his waist peek out through the armholes in his tank as he stretched. Keeping his eyes down, he collected his belongings and left. As soon as he was out the door, he texted Biggs “mission accomplished!”

*~~*~~* 

Saturday morning saw Luke stumbling to the front door of his shared apartment with Leia. He opened it to find Biggs standing in the doorway.

“Why aren’t you dressed?” Biggs asked.

“What?” Luke asked, yawning.

“Did you forget?” Biggs stepped past Luke into the apartment. “We’re going shopping to get you some hot clothes.”

“Oh yeah,” Luke said. Closing the door, he turned to Biggs. “I can be ready in like five minutes. You have to promise we’ll work on the physics lab later today though. I don’t know anything and our first test is coming up.”

Biggs scoffed. “Like I know anything either. Go. Get ready. I’ll wait here.”

The door to Leia’s room opened and she poked her head out. Her bedhead was wild, but her eyes were bright. “Are you two about to go shopping?” she asked.

“Yeah, wanna come?” Biggs asked.

“Kinda,” Leia said. “I really don’t approve of you laser brains or your shenanigans. But if you’re going to buy clothes, you need someone with actual style on your team.”

“I resent that,” Biggs said. “I have style.”

“Yeah, just not good style,” Leia snapped, grinning. Luke laughed. “I’ll be ready soon,” Leia said, retreating back into her room.

Luke shrugged and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Five minutes later, Luke was in the living room, tying his shoes when Leia emerged from her room, hair perfectly tied in a french braid and expertly done eyeliner and lipstick. “Are we ready?” she asked.

Luke stood up, looking at Biggs who nodded. “Let’s go,” Luke said.

The trio headed out, walking towards downtown. Biggs listed off a few stores he had in mind, and Leia shot down the ones she didn’t like. They perused everything from sale racks and the newest shipments. The focus was mostly on Luke, but Leia ended up getting new boots for the upcoming fall season. Biggs bought a jacket that he had recommended to Luke, but didn’t come in Luke’s size. Luke bought shorts, t-shirts, button downs, a tight pair of sweatpants, and - Leia’s personal favorite - a crop top. Luke was kind of embarrassed about the last one, but Biggs and Leia had both insisted he looked like dynamite in it.

Within a couple hours, the group was overloaded with shopping bags. 

“I think I may have reached capacity,” Luke said, adjusting his share of the load and rubbing at the indentions in his arms. 

“Same here,” Leia said.

“Let’s go back to the apartment and put all this stuff away,” Luke suggested. “Then let’s figure out lunch. Shopping really works up an appetite.”

“Good idea,” Biggs said, blushing as his stomach rumbled. The twins laughed, and then they all headed back up the street to the apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your support gives me life. Kudos and comments make my heart so happy. Come talk to me on tumblr at gyroscopefour if you want. Thank you for reading!


	5. Explanations and Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Leia get some bad news. Luke works out where he stands for Han.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome back. This chapter is kinda short, but it's super important to the plot. This is technically the last chapter in Act I. So that's pretty cool. The tension can only rise from this point forward. I hope you enjoy! :)

Luke pulled his keys out of his bag, walking down the hall. He had a few hours between classes, so he had decided to stop back at the apartment for lunch. He opened the door to his apartment to see Leia perched on the couch. Her knees were tucked up to her chest and her phone was pressed to her ear.

“Luke. You’re home. Come sit,” she said patting the couch beside her. “Mom, you’re going on speaker.” Leia tapped her phone, and Padmé’s voice came through the speaker.

“Hi, Luke. How are you?” Padmé said.

“I’m good, Mom. Classes are going well,” Luke said. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, baby. I wanted to call to update you two on your father. He’s not doing well.”

Luke’s face fell. “What happened? Is Dad okay?”

“He’s okay right now,” Padmé said. “He’s struggling though. I wanted to let you know before the press caught wind of it.”

“Do you think it will hurt your campaign?” Leia asked.

“My publicity team doesn’t think it’s going to be a problem as long as he doesn’t get arrested again. I called Obi-Wan, but he won’t be back in the country for several months,” Padmé said.

“Do you want me to come home, Mom?” Luke asked. “It won’t be that much of a problem if I miss a week or two.”

“Luke, no!” Leia snapped. “You can’t just give up your life for Dad! His mistakes are his alone.”

“He’s part of this family, Leia, and he needs our help. We can’t let him fall apart like he did five years ago.”

“Exactly. He keeps falling apart. We can’t keep dropping our lives to help him.”

“Kids, stop,” Padmé barked from the phone. “I don’t need any help right now. Your father is fine for the moment, just a little unsteady. Don’t get worried yet. I would just rather you get your updates from me than some tabloid. I’ll call if I have any more updates.”

“Okay, thanks, Mom,” Luke said.

“Bye, Mom,” Leia said.

“Bye, kids. I love you so much.”

“Love you, too,” Leia said.

“Give Dad our love,” Luke said as Leia hung up the phone.

“You really should stop getting so caught up in Dad’s issues. You can’t let his mistakes hold you back from becoming the person you were meant to be.”

“I’m not, Leia,” Luke snapped. “Don’t you care at all? He’s our dad!”

“Of course I care. But I also care about my own future. And you should care about yours.” She got up to go to her room, slamming the door. Luke was left on the couch, feeling alone.

*~~*~~*

“Professor Solo?”

Han looked up to see Luke hesitating in the doorway of the office. “Yes, Luke?”

“I need some help on my homework,” he said quietly.

“Okay,” Han said, taking off his glasses. “What can I do?”

Luke sat down, pulling out his laptop out of his bag. “I don’t understand how to make the quizzes work,” he said, pulling up the online homework. Han rolled his chair up behind Luke to see. Luke could feel Han’s breath ghost across his neck, but he did his best to ignore the memories it evoked.

“See? When I click here, it takes me to the assignment information instead of the actual page to take the quiz. I’ve been trying to figure this out since yesterday.” Luke’s voice cracked a little, but Han ignored it for Luke’s pride.

“Okay, look you’re on the gradebook page, kid. If you go over to the margin and click on assignments, it’ll give you the links to all upcoming assignments.”

“I’ve been trying to figure this out for hours! It’s that easy?” Luke said, clicking the link. It brought him right to the first page of the quiz.

“It’s that easy,” Han said. He was smiling until he caught a glint of tears in Luke’s eyes. “Hey, Luke, what’s wrong?”

“I’m just having a really bad day,” Luke said, the tears finally spilling over.

“Aw, kid.” Han touched Luke’s shoulder gently.

Luke leaned into the touch for a moment before pulling away. “Could you please not touch me like that?” Luke sniffled. “It’s confusing.”

Han pulled his hand back. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Is there anything I can do to make it less confusing?”

Luke shook his head, wiping at his tears. “No. You made your disinterest very clear the other week.”

Han sighed, feeling the guilt bubble up again. “I’m sorry about that, too, you know. I was uncomfortable, and I reacted… inappropriately. I didn’t mean to hurt you like that.”

Luke looked up at him with teary eyes. “That just makes things more confusing.”

“Okay, here,” Han sighed, bracing himself. “I like you. I really do. I would like nothing more than to be with you, but the university rules and regulations say a professor can’t have a relationship with a student. I can’t risk my career like that, and I definitely can’t put your education in jeopardy.” Han paused, unsure of how to continue. They sat in silence for some time.

“I like you, too,” Luke whispered. 

Han couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. It was all he could do not to kiss Luke. He wanted to wrap the younger man up in an embrace and kiss his tear tracks away. “How about this?” Han said. “Technically, there is nothing forbidding a student-professor relationship as long as the student is not under the professor’s instruction. Wait until the end of the semester. If you still want to be with me then, we can be together.”

“That’s a long way away,” Luke said.

“Not really, if you think about it,” Han said, forcing a grin. “We’re already a month into the semester. Only three more to go.” He stroked Luke’s hair gently. “Just until the end of the semester.”

“Until the end of the semester,” Luke agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay there it is! If they can just make it until winter break, they can happily be together. Thank you so much for reading. Kudos and comments literally inspire me to write this faster. Come see me on tumblr at gyroscopefour if you want to say hi. Thanks again!


	6. Overwhelmed and Overdue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An essay, some upsetting text messages, and a whole bunch of stress. Luke is barely staying afloat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Sorry it's been a few days. I was studying for a final, but we're all good now. I did really well, and now I'm back to writing this wildness. Thank you so much for sticking with me through this. I have it all planned out, and I think you'll like the ending. 
> 
> Feel free to chat with me on tumblr at gyroscopefour.tumblr.com Thanks and enjoy!
> 
> (Lowkey, didn't proofread this at all, so please be gentle. X_X)

“Okay, you can go,” Professor Solo said, ending his lecture. “Don’t forget your research essays are due on Monday the eighth. That’s this upcoming Monday at the start of class. Come see me if you need help choosing a topic.”

Luke packed up his stuff, and headed straight for Professor Solo. He waited for other students to get their questions answered before approaching his professor.

Han’s face lit up when he saw Luke. The boy was wearing a light blue shirt that complimented his eyes perfectly. Once again, Han was taken aback by how strikingly pretty Luke was. He wasn’t the typical handsome type; he was beautiful, and he knew it, too.

“Hi, Professor Solo,” Luke said, running a hand through his hair. “I need some help picking a topic.”

“Well, Luke, what are you interested in?”

Luke shrugged. “Engineering, mostly.”

“Hmm, why don’t you follow me up to my office, and we’ll see if we can’t figure something out?”

“Okay,” Luke said, struggling to hide his grin.

Professor Solo shouldered his back, and gestured for Luke to follow him.

“Are you interested in anything more archaeology-related?” Han asked.

“Not really,” Luke said. “Archaeology isn’t really my thing, sorry.”

Han laughed. “Don’t apologize, kid,” he said. “There isn’t much engineering in archaeology, but maybe we can get close. What do you think about architecture?”

“That’s kinda cool, I guess,” Luke said. They left the building and crossed the street to the Social Sciences admin building, where Han’s office was located. 

Halfway up the stairs, Luke’s phone dinged. He pulled it out of his pocket and unlocked it. It was a message from Padmé that stopped Luke dead in his tracks. “I’m very worried about your dad. I think his mental health is spiraling,” the message said. It was in the group he and Leia shared with their mother, without Anakin.

“What do you mean?” Luke texted back.

Han got all the way to the door before he realized Luke wasn’t with him anymore. He turned around and went back to the younger man. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Luke made a face as if he was trying to rid himself of his thoughts. “It’s nothing,” he said. “So architecture?”

Han gave him an uneasy look, but continued what he had been say. “Yeah, it’s kind of like engineering. You could do a comparison essay on different architecture styles from different ancient cultures.”

Luke thought for a moment, “like what?”

“What comes to mind?” Han asked, nudging Luke lightly as they continued up the steps and into the building.

“Um, pyramids?” Luke said. “Those are pretty famous.”

Han grinned. “That’s a good idea, kid,” he said. “You could research pyramids from a variety of different cultures. Come on. I have a few sources for reference up in my office.” He strolled over to the elevator and pushed the button. The elevator doors opened, and the pair went inside. Han pushed the button for the fourth floor.

Luke’s phone dinged again, and he looked down. “I found a bottle of pain meds in his sock drawer. It could be nothing, but this is usually how his spirals start,” Padmé’s text said. Luke couldn’t breath.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Han asked, leaning over to look at Luke’s phone. Luke took notice and immediately locked his phone.

“I’m fine,” he lied. “Just family stuff.”

“Okay, kid,” Han said. “But if you ever want to talk about it, I’m here.”

The elevator doors opened on their floor, and Luke stepped out, leading the way to Han’s office without another word. Han followed behind, fishing his keys out of his pocket. He unlocked the door and went in first, setting his bag down and pulling a few books off his shelf.

“Check these out,” Han said. “They could help in your research for your essay.”

Luke hesitated, “thanks, but I can’t really look at them now. I have to study for my quiz in physics.”

Han grimaced. “That’s rough, kid. Tell you what. How about you take a couple of those books home, and just read them whenever you have time? You can bring them back when you turn the essay in.”

“Really?” Luke asked, flipping through the book on the top of the stack. “You’d let me do that?”

“Well, yeah,” Han said. He almost reached out to ruffle the younger man’s hair, but he stopped himself just in time. “Don’t go getting a big head or anything. It’s something I would offer to anyone who needs it.”

Luke frowned at that, but kept his head turned into the books. He picked two that looked relevant enough, and looked at Han for approval.

“Go ahead, kid,” Han said, waving him out. “Go study for physics.”

“Actually,” Luke said, staring at his shoes, “I was wondering if I could study in here for a little while. It’s nice in here. Quiet.”

Han gave him a funny look. “I don’t see why not I guess. I’m meeting someone for lunch in an hour and a half, but you can stay until then.”

Luke nodded, and sat down in the corner, hiding his face again. He tried to focus on his physics notes, but he couldn’t stop thinking about who Han might be meeting for lunch. Realistically, Luke knew Han was interested in him, but what if he did want to wait? What if he had found someone else? Han had mentioned his meeting with such fondness, that Luke couldn’t help the bubbling jealousy in his chest.

Luke did not do well on his physics quiz.

*~~*~~*

“Professor Dodonna, please,” Luke said, fighting back the tears. “Can I please have the opportunity to do extra credit? Or at least can I resit the quiz?”

“I’m sorry, Luke,” the physics professor said. “I cannot give you special treatment. I can only assure you that you will have many quizzes in the future which will balance this out. I know it looks bad now because I haven’t put many grades in the online grade report. I promise I will update it in the next few days. I’m sorry I can’t do more for you.”

Luke swallowed hard, forcing his emotions down. “Thanks for your help anyway,” he said. He turned to the door to leave.

“Luke?” Professor Dodonna called, recapturing Luke’s attention. “Your lab write-ups have so far shown a weak understanding of the course material. If you come to office hours a few times before the next quiz, we can try to bring you up to speed.”

Luke nodded and left, feeling defeated. That sense of overwhelming failure washed over him again, and he couldn’t resist pulling up the university’s academic tracker to see what other majors he could switch into. He knew it was asinine, but last year it had helped him relieve the stress he felt. If he wasn’t cut out to graduate as an engineer, at least he could mollify himself with backup options.

However, it didn’t help him as much now. Most of his classes were specifically tailored for engineers and sometimes even just aerospace engineers. Switching now would postpone his graduation by at least one semester.

There wasn’t anything he could do to stop the helpless feeling, so he packed up and went home, resolving to sort out his physics after some rest and Netflix.

*~~*~~*

Han’s breath warmed Luke’s neck. He pressed little kisses to Luke’s collarbone, pausing only to chuckle at the tiny gasps Luke made. He laid Luke down in the sheets, humming gently. Then his hands were in Luke’s pants, and Luke’s breath hitched.

Han leaned close as his hands wandered, nibbling at Luke’s ear. “Your essay is due today,” he whispered.

“My what?” Luke asked. 

Luke is jolted awake. He’s alone in his bed, sporting some serious morning wood and covered in sweat. “Dammit,” he said, flopping back on his pillow. He reached over to his phone, pulling it off the charger. He clicked it on, and when he saw the date and time, his stomach dropped. His essay was actually due, and he’d overslept.

Luke threw his sheets off and scrambled to his laptop. He hadn’t written a word of his essay, and it was due in five minutes. He started packing frantically, hoping he could catch Professor Solo before class and ask for an extension. He grabbed his backpack and saw the books Professor Solo had lent him. They we still untouched. Luke felt guilt wash over him.

“I’m such an idiot,” he said, grabbing his laptop and shoes. He hurried for the door, grabbing a protein bar as he passed through the kitchen.

“Oh my God, Luke! I thought you’d already left,” Leia said from her place at the kitchen table. She stood up. “Do you need help?” 

“Can’t talk now,” Luke said, running out the door. “I’m super late!”

“Luke, wait,” Leia called after him, following him into the hallway. “You’re still in your pajamas.”

“Bring me some clothes when you come to campus, please!” Luke shouted back. “This is gonna have to do for now!”

Luke shoved down his embarrassment and ran down the stairs. He couldn’t wait on the elevator. His shoes chafed, and Luke wished he had time to go back for socks. The ratty pajama pants made his stomach churn, but he pressed on. 

He ran as fast as he could down the street, passing many confused pedestrians. “Excuse me. Sorry!” he shouted as he pushed through a group of people. At the busy intersection that marked the boundary between the city and the campus, Luke dashed across the street, barely looking out for oncoming traffic.

Honestly, getting hit with a car may have been less tortuous than this.

Luke was breathing hard when he got to the social sciences department. He just happened to catch Han crossing between the buildings. Han saw Luke coming and made a face.

“Luke, what the hell?”

Luke was all red-faced and sweaty. His breathing was erratic, and his hair stuck up in every direction. But the most unusually part of Luke’s presence was the pajamas. Luke’s old torn t-shirt and plaid sleep pants had threads hanging from several seams each.

“I overslept,” Luke huffed. “Forgot the essay.” He paused, gasping for air. “I need an extension please.”

Sympathy spread over Han’s face. “Aw, kid. You look like you’re having a rough day.” Han patted his pockets, finding what he was looking for in his jacket. He pulled out his keys and offered them to Luke. “Why don’t you go up to my office and rest? I’ll come up after class, and we can sort out the essay.”

Luke wanted to cry with relief. He didn’t think he could have withstood another failing grade at the moment. He took the keys slowly. “Thank you,” he whispered. 

Han smiled. “Just relax, Luke. Everything will be okay.”

Luke wasn’t sure he believed that, but it made him feel a little better anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think you can really sense my college angst in this. Sorry. But thanks for reading! Also, shout out if this kind of stuff has ever happened to you, and you survived it. College is rough. 
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated. Thank you for all the support. Please feel welcome to visit me on tumblr at gyroscopefour.tumblr.com I'd love to hear from you.


	7. About the Essay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Han decides to help a struggling Luke balance all his classes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I am back with another update. Mostly some catharsis this time, setting up for the big turning point which should come in the next couple of chapters. Thank you all for your support on this. It really means a lot. Please enjoy!

“This boy is killing me,” Han texted Lando. 

“Cool your boner, Han,” Lando texted back. “What did he do now?”

“He came to me all stressed out and vulnerable. I sent him to my office to relax, and I’m going to talk to him now.” Han was in the elevator riding up to the office.

“Stay strong,” Lando texted. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

“Sure…” Han replied. The elevator stopped at his floor, and Han went to his office. Luke was there with his feet propped up on the desk, scrolling through his phone.

“How are you feeling?” Han asked. Startled, Luke quickly put his feet down and locked his phone. 

“Okay,” he mumbled. “I’ve got a major stress headache.”

“I can imagine,” Han said, sitting down next to Luke. “Here,” Han opened a drawer in his desk and offered Luke some pain meds which Luke took gratefully.

“Thanks,” he said, swallowing the pills dry.

Han grimaced. “Did you bring a water bottle?”

Luke shrugged. “Overslept,” he said plainly. “Didn’t have time. Kind of looking rough today.” He looked away from Han.

Han lightly touched his chin, pulling Luke’s gaze back to him. “I like the glasses, kid,” he said. “You should wear them more often.”

Luke blushed, touching his glasses frame. “Thanks,” he said.

Han sat back in his chair. “We do need to discuss your essay, Luke. And your grade in this class.”

Luke gave Han a pitiful look. “Am I failing?” he asked. Luke knew his grades were borderline, but he hadn’t checked the online gradebook in a few days.

Han nodded. Luke sighed, trying to fight back tears of stress and embarrassment.

“I don’t really understand, Luke. You’re a brilliant kid. Some of your work is outstanding. But other times, it’s like you don’t even bother learning the material for our weekly quizzes.” Luke’s attention fell to the floor. He remained silent. “What gives?” Han asked, trying to prompt an answer out of him.

“You do your weekly quizzes on Fridays. I also have weekly quizzes for Diff EQ on Fridays,” he mumbled. “Differential Equations is part of my degree plan. Archaeology is technically an elective for me.” He shrugged. “It just makes more sense to study for Diff EQ.”

Han gave him a considering look. “Archaeology still contributes to your GPA, Luke. Even if you don’t think it’s an important class, it’ll help decide your internships and future jobs.”

“It’s not part of my major-specific GPA. That’s already higher than my cumulative GPA anyway. I can just put the major GPA on my resume.” The kid looked so tired and sad that Han wanted to scoop him up in a hug.

“That only works if you can pass the class,” Han said. “Luke, I want to help you, but I’m not sure how.”

Luke looked up at him. “You might be part of the problem,” he said quietly.

“How so?” Han asked.

“You’re distracting,” Luke said, regretting following his line of thought. When Han didn’t respond, Luke continued. “I think I like you too much. I find it hard to focus during class. And all the time.”

Han blushed, averting his gaze. “How do I fix that?”

Luke wrung his hands. “It’s not just you. I have some other stuff going on too. I’m just having a rough time right now, and I don’t know what I need,” he said. At this point, he couldn’t hide the tears. 

Han grabbed some tissues off the desk, handing them to Luke. Luke took them, pressing them to his tear-stained cheeks. His breath hitched as he cried, and then Han did give into his urge to hug Luke. He wrapped his arms around the boy, and Luke leaned into him. Han rubbed Luke’s back.

“It sounds to me like you need a friend right now,” Han said, letting Luke cry into his chest. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Luke shook his head. The younger man’s arms slid around Han’s waist, pulling him closer. Han adjusted in his chair, letting their bodies press together. He hadn’t had this much physical contact with Luke since the first night they met. Han struggled not to move his hands from Luke’s upper back, but he knew he couldn’t take advantage of Luke’s emotional vulnerability.

Han hummed soothingly, “it’s okay, kiddo. Everything is going to be okay.” Luke held tighter to Han. Han pressed his face into Luke’s hair, breathing deeply. Luke’s hair smelled faintly like shampoo and a unique smell that was all Luke. Han never wanted to leave Luke’s arms.

“How about we set up tutoring sessions, okay?” Han asked. “I can help you study for this class efficiently, so you can save time and energy for your math classes.” Luke nodded.

A cough from the doorway startled them both. They pulled away from their embrace.

“Leia,” Luke exclaimed.

Leia stared at Han disapprovingly. “Here are some clothes for you,” she said, tossing Luke a bag. Luke caught it and thanked her.

“Be careful, Luke,” she said, still watching Han, who turned away, embarrassed. “You wouldn’t want any rash decisions to affect you poorly.”

“I know what I’m doing, Leia,” Luke snapped. His voice betrayed recent tears but was powerful all the same.

Leia gave them both a dismissive look before leaving. “Don’t forget to meet me and Biggs for lunch today,” she said as she left.

After she was gone, Han chuckled awkwardly. “She’s a strong personality,” he said, grinning uncomfortably.

Luke grimaced. “You get used to it. She came on a little stronger than usual because we’re kind of fighting right now.” Luke didn’t say anymore, and Han didn’t press him. Luke stood. “I do have to get changed out of my pajamas though,” he said.

“Come back when you’re done,” Han replied. “We still have to talk about what to do about your essay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I really appreciate you taking the time to read my work, and definitely if you kudos or comment. Where will Luke and Han's relationship go? Who knows? (Actually, I do tbh.) Thanks, again. And know that you're welcome to come visit me on tumblr at gyroscopefour. I'd love to talk to you about anything; Star Wars, school, other fandoms, the meaning of life, dogs. You know. Just basic stuff.


	8. A Dinner Date, Sort of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke gets help from Han on his homework. So what if it happens to be at a fancy restaurant with mood lighting?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry it's been a hot minute. I've been away for a little longer than usual, but thanks for your patience.

“You’re late,” Han said, as Luke trotted into his office.

“I’m sorry,” Luke said, smiling meekly. “I wanted to text you, but I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to use your number since you gave it to me before...” He trailed off.

Han blushed and turned away. “Uh, yeah, Luke. You may want to delete some questionable emojis out of my name in the contacts though.”

It was Luke’s turn to blush. He hid his face behind his notebook, and they started on Luke’s homework.

*~~*~~*

Later that afternoon, Luke was sitting next to Biggs in the lecture hall, waiting for Thermo to start. Luke pulled up his contacts, scrolling down to Han’s contact. He deleted the index finger pointing at the okay hand, but he kept the green heart, which gave him a warm feeling. Luke also added Han’s last name and school email to the contact.

Biggs leaned over, watching Luke type. “He gets a heart by his name?” he asked.

Luke shrugged, embarrassed. “He put it there,” Luke said quietly.

Deciding to be brave, Luke sent Han a text. “Thanks for your help earlier. It’s easier to understand my homework.”

Han’s reply was almost immediate. It was a picture of Luke’s essay with an A+ written in bold green marker. “Good job, Luke. You’re doing very well,” the text said.

“You’re not just giving me that grade because you helped, right?” Luke texted.

“No way,” Han replied. “That’s all you.”

Luke sent a smiley face with a thanks. “Will you be available tomorrow to go over quiz content?”

It took a bit longer for Han to reply than previously. “Does Friday not work for you?”

Luke chewed his lip, texting back a reply and shooing Biggs away. “Don’t read my texts,” Luke said.

“I’ve got to get to my Diff EQ TA’s lecture review. He’s going over the quiz content since some of us are doing so bad,” Luke texted Han.

“That’s fine. I can make tomorrow work if you can do sometime after six?”

“I have class until six thirty, but I can do after that. Should we do it over dinner or is that too much like a date?” Luke sent. He sent another messages with a few awkward face emojis to attempt to lighten the mood.

Biggs leaned over his shoulder again. “That’s definitely too much like a date,” he said.

“Shut up,” Luke said, swatting him away.

Luke’s phone chimed. “As long as we just do food and homework, I can’t imagine it would be a problem,” Han texted back. Then he sent a winky face.

Luke’s stomach did a somersault. Was Han flirting with him? Luke swallowed hard and typed out a reply. “Works for me,” he texted. “Do you want to go to the little Italian place on west campus?”

“I love that place.” Han replied. “I’ll see you there at six thirty.”

*~~*~~*

Luke left physics early to get to the restaurant on time. He power walked to west campus and arrived just as Han was parking his car. Luke was a little taken aback. Han stepped out of his white Maserati Granturismo.

“What is this?” Luke asked when was within speaking distance of Han.

Han smiled at his reaction. “This is the Falcon,” he said proudly. “I bought her off a friend.” Luke placed his hands on the car gently. 

“It’s beautiful,” Luke said.

Han shrugged, still grinning. “She’s a little beat up, but I love her.”

Luke frowned, looking at the car again. There were a few scratches and dents that he hadn’t noticed from a distance. Through the window, he could see the interior was filthy. “You know, most people with really expensive cars treat them like their own children.”

“Well, I’m not most people,” Han said, gesturing for Luke to follow him into the restaurant.

They were seated, and they both ordered the same thing, fettuccine alfredo with chicken. While waiting on their food, they tackled Luke’s notes. Han wouldn’t reveal the content of Friday’s quiz despite Luke’s prompting, but he did help Luke organize the main ideas of his notes on a study sheet with supporting information in bullet points. “This was you can review tonight and tomorrow before the quiz,” Han said.

“Thanks for your help,” Luke replied, nodding at the waitress who was clearing their plates from the table.

The waitress returned with a friendly smile. “Now will the checks be together or separate?” the waitress asked.

“Together,” Han said at the same time Luke said “separate.”

The pair exchanged uncomfortable looks before Han corrected to “separate.” The waitress nodded slowly and left the table.

“Sorry,” Han said as she walked away. “I’m just used to…” He rubbed his neck, forcing out tense laughter. “Well, this isn’t that, so sorry.”

Luke was overcome with the desire to comfort Han. He placed a hand on Han’s, but Han quickly retracted his hand and placing it in his pocket.

“So are you doing anything for Halloween?” Han asked.

Luke shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve still a little over a week to decide. I might go home and spend it with my family.”

“Where does your family live?”

Luke eyed Han suspiciously. “I thought this was just going to be a homework and food kind of night.”

“Right,” Han mumbled, going red in the face. He looked around the restaurant as his blush faded. “Where did that damn waitress go? I was ready for the check.”

Luke shifted awkwardly at Han’s mood change. He picked up his pencil and silently read over the review sheet they had complied.

When the checks came an agonizing five minutes later, they paid separately. They left with terse farewells, each walking in opposite directions. Han seemed embarrassed by his behavior, but Luke hadn’t minded at all. Luke wasn’t sure why he had stopped Han from broaching more personal matters, but he was sure that he couldn’t wait to have an actual date with his professor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I really appreciate your kudos and comments. Please feel welcome to visit me on tumblr at gyroscopefour. I'm thinking about doing some art for this story, but I need to figure out my new digital art software first >.< (and also just draw better in general tbh).


	9. Midterms and Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the first midterm approaches, Luke and Han prepare together. Their relationship takes an unexpected turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm back again with a new chapter. I hope you enjoy.

Luke and Han were in Han’s favorite cafe on campus. They sat next to each other, drinking coffee and reading over Luke’s notes. It was late in the evening, and the cafe was empty save for the staff and the two of them. The first archaeology midterm was coming up, and Luke was not feeling prepared.

“So what do you think would be a good way to organize the main ideas of this section?” Han asked, tapping on Luke’s notes.

Luke scanned the messy writing, frowning. “I don’t know,” he said. “My brain just doesn’t work that way.” He sipped his coffee, trying to mask his exasperation.

Han narrowed his eyes at Luke. “So you’re telling me that you can do theoretical physics, no big deal, but when it comes to summarizing a few paragraphs, you can’t do it even with my help?”

Luke shrugged. “I wouldn’t say theoretical physics is ‘no big deal.’ It just makes more sense in my brain.”

Han hummed, leaning closer to Luke to read over the notes. “Look here,” he said, pointing to a specific line. “This sentence here. Can you read that for me?”

Luke couldn’t help but lean into Han a little as he read. His chest felt warm and strong against Luke’s side. “Okay how about this?” He used his highlighter to go over a few definitions in the paragraph.

“That’s good, Luke,” Han said. “Maybe this too,” he pointed to a sentence at the end of the paragraph. “That sums up the notes pretty well for this section.”

Luke nodded and highlighted that too. 

Han ruffled his hair gently. “Good. That’s the last section the midterm will cover.”

“Really?” Luke asked, turning back to look at Han. “We’re done?” He felt his stomach drop as Han’s fingertips brushed his waist. They were so close to each other.

“We’re done,” Han said, smiling.

Without thinking, Luke leaned in, pressing his lips to Han’s. Han kissed back immediately, hands sliding around Luke’s waist. He tasted like coffee and sweetness. Luke’s hands were sliding up Han’s back when Han abruptly stood up, breaking off the kiss. 

“I should go,” Han said quickly. “We probably shouldn’t do this anymore.” He grabbed his book bag off the back of his chair.

“Han, I’m sorry,” Luke said, feeling his heart break.

“You should call me Professor Solo,” Han said. “Good luck on your midterm tomorrow.”

Han left quickly, and Luke sat in the cafe for a while longer, feeling ill.

*~~*~~*

Han knew Lando didn’t have plans tonight, so he drove to his friend’s house with a bottle of vodka. When Lando opened the door, his face immediately softened.

“What happened?” Lando asked, taking the vodka from Han and ushering him inside.

“He kissed me,” Han said. “He kissed me, and I liked it.”

Lando set the vodka on the coffee table and sat down with Han on the couch. “Who? The kid?”

Han nodded, reaching for the vodka. Lando let him. “You stopped him, didn’t you?”

Han took a swig of the bottle and then nodded as he swallowed. “Not before I kissed back though. I couldn’t help it. I’ve wanted to kiss him for so long now. It’s just not fair,” he said.

Lando touched his shoulder comfortingly. “I know. How did it go down?”

“I was helping him review for the midterm and he just kinda leaned over and kissed me. I didn’t want it to stop.” Han took a long drink.

“So you came over here to be sad and drink yourself into oblivion?” Lando asked.

“Yeah.” Han took another drink.

“I guess I can grade essays this weekend,” Lando said, putting the papers on his kitchen table back into their file. “Want me to make you bacon and turn on Friends?”

“Yes, please,” Han said.

*~~*~~*

Han woke up the next morning swaddled in blankets. Lando was in the kitchen, drinking coffee and dressed for work. He sat up, blinking the sleep out of his eyes and searching for his phone. 

“I made you coffee,” Lando said as Han shuffled in. “Did you sleep well?”

“Not really,” Han said, sitting down across from Lando. His phone was sitting on the table next to the extra mug of coffee. “Thanks,” Han said, taking a sip of the coffee.

“Do you need to get to school early to print your midterms out?” Lando asked.

“I printed them out already. I just have to stop by my house to get them.”

“You should shower too,” Lando said. “You smell like alcohol.”

Han shrugged flippantly.

Lando folded his arms. “You really can’t keep drinking every time you have a bad day, Han.”

“Yesterday was an outstanding case,” Han said defiantly. “I don’t usually have to deal with those kinds of issues.” He grabbed his keys and jacket. “I’m going back to my house.”

“Han, you really shouldn’t-” Lando began.

“You really shouldn’t tell me what I can and can’t do,” Han snapped.

“Will I see you at lunch?” Lando asked as Han walked out the front door.

“I don’t know,” Han said, slamming the door behind him.

*~~*~~*

Luke walked out of his Archaeology class feeling nauseated. His midterm did not go well. At that point, he was just hoping he passed.

He walked over to the dining hall to meet Leia for lunch. When she saw his face, she immediately walked over.

“It doesn’t look like you’re feeling confident about your test,” Leia said.

“Not really,” Luke replied. “The multiple choice section was okay, but I completely blanked on the short answer portion.”

“What happened? It seemed like you we’re feeling good about it until this morning.”

“I don’t know. Maybe nerves got to me.”

Leia narrowed her eyes. “It wasn’t that professor, was it? If he is making it hard for you to learn, I swear I will report him.”

Luke hesitated. He wanted to tell her to report Professor Solo because their relationship was the cause of his poor test performance. But he couldn’t do that to Han. The fact of the matter was that Luke had kissed Han, and Han had rejected his advances.

“I knew it,” Leia said. “I can see it on your face. He did something that made you uncomfortable. Luke, you can’t compromise your education for him. He’s not the one.”

“Professor Solo didn’t do anything,” Luke said. “It’s just some personal stuff. It doesn’t have to do with him.”

Leia eyed him suspiciously. “Are you sure?”

Luke nodded. “One hundred percent.”

“Okay,” she said slowly. “At least let me know when you get your grade back, alright?” 

Luke nodded again. “Let’s get some lunch.

Later that evening, when Luke checked his grades, he didn’t mention to Leia that he got a 48 on his midterm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments inspire me to continue, and they make my heart so happy. Please feel welcome to talk to me on tumblr at gyroscopefour. I'm also thinking about changing the rating of this work to M because of a future chapter I have in mind. If you have an opinion on that (yay or nay), I'd love to hear it. Thanks <3


	10. Everything's (Not) Fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke deals with his rejection in a not so healthy way. His mood change is noticeable, and his friends and family try to take care of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, just a quick, short-ish update for y'all. College has started for me, so I (much like Luke in this fic) am riding the struggle bus. Thank you all for the positive feedback. It really inspires me to carve out time to work on this project. We're more than halfway there now!

Luke readjusted his pillow, scrolling through Twitter. It was 11am on a Sunday, and Luke just didn’t feel like getting out of bed. The failing grades in three of his five classes were really ruining his mood. The worst one was Archaeology. He could understand - almost accept - struggling in his math and science courses. Physics and Differential Equations were nothing to scoff at, but Archaeology. It wasn’t even a difficult class.

His phone screen changed to alert him of an incoming call. It was his mom. Forcing his voice to sound happy, he answered the call and put the phone up to his ear. “Hi, mom,” he said.

“Hi, baby,” Padmé said. “Leia told me you weren’t feeling well.”

“She did?” Luke asked, sitting up in bed. “I don’t know why she’d think that.”

“She said you had been acting strangely. That you hadn’t gotten up this morning,” Padmé said. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine, mom. I’m just struggling in a few of my classes. Nothing serious. Is everything okay back home?”

Padmé paused before answering. “I’m doing really well in the polls. Better than we expected.”

“That’s great, Mom,” Luke said. “How’s Dad?”

“I don’t know, baby. I haven’t seen him since Friday afternoon.”

Luke’s stomach dropped. “What?”

“I’m sorry, sweetie. I know he’s close because he didn’t take his car. He’ll probably be home soon.”

“Mom, he could be hurt. Or worse. What do we do?”

“Luke, calm down,” Padmé said. Her voice was tight, but it did not waver. “There isn’t anything we can do at this point. We just have to wait for him to show up again.”

“Mom, I don’t want him to get hurt.”

“I know, baby,” Padmé said. Her voice was soothing, and it reminded Luke of home. “Tell me about your classes instead. Are you still enjoying Archaeology?”

Luke frowned. He remembered raving over it to her a while back, before the kiss and failed midterm had happened. That was back when Luke enjoyed his study sessions with Han. “I don’t think that one is my favorite anymore.”

“Why not?” Padmé asked. “The last time we talked you were very excited about taking a class that broadened your education outside of engineering. Not to mention you said you were getting along well with the professor. Did something happen?”

“No. Nothing happened,” Luke said. “I think I just like calculus a bit better. My TA is really nice and funny in that class. He actually teaches math, unlike the guy from last semester.” Luke tried to force as much joy as he could into his voice. 

“Okay. That’s nice to hear. Are you doing anything for Halloween?”

Luke couldn’t help the eye roll. “Mom, Halloween is on a Wednesday. I have class Thursday morning.”

Padmé laughed. “Well, I don’t know what you’re up to. You could have turned into a party animal this semester.”

“Trust me, I didn’t,” Luke said. “Well, Mom, I hate to go, but I do have to get started on my homework now. If I wait any longer, I’ll have to stay up late to finish it.”

“Okay, baby. Good job, working so hard,” Padmé said. “I love you.”

“Love you, too, Mom,” Luke hung up the phone as he heard her blow a kiss. He flopped back down on his bed with a sigh. He really needed to study for his upcoming quiz in physics, but he still couldn’t bring himself to get out of bed.

*~~*~~*

Halloween came and went without too much disturbance. Leia got some free candy on campus and shared it with Luke, but other than that, Luke didn’t notice the holiday. 

His grades were borderline. He managed to pull his physics grade up to a C, but dynamics had slipped a little in the process. Luke felt like he was constantly treading water without a break, barely able to keep his head above water.

Leia and Biggs regularly brought Luke food, enough to keep him sustained, but they both expressed worry at Luke’s lack of enthusiasm. Luke tried to play it off like he was fine, but they both knew something was going on. Luke knew they were on to him, too, but he still didn’t say anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, that's all I have for this update. Thanks for bearing with me through this short chapter. I promise the next one is gonna be amazing. Like I have been looking forward to the next chapter for a while now. Get hype, let's go!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading. I really appreciate your comments and kudos. They mean so much to me. My updates might become a little more sparse as I get back into the groove of school, but I'll be damned if I don't finish this fic. Remember that you can hit me up on tumblr if you want at gyroscopefour. Thanks!


	11. Awake or Asleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke gets some bad news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all like fluff with your angst because it's coming. Thanks for being patient while I adjust to my college schedule this semester. Finally got caught up on homework, so I could write this. It's an extra long chapter, so there's that. I hope you enjoy.

Padmé was calling again. Luke had been sitting on the couch, studying his calculus notes, and was startled when his phone lit up. Padmé almost never called after nine o’clock, but it was just after midnight now. Luke picked up his phone and answered. “Hi, Mom. Is everything okay?”

“Hi, Luke. Is Leia around?”

“Yeah,” Luke said, looking at her from the couch. “She’s in the kitchen.”

“Could you get her, please?” Padmé asked. “I have something important to tell you two.”

Luke’s stomach dropped. “Leia,” he said. “Mom wants to talk to us.”

Leia turned the heat down on her pot of pasta sauce and closed her textbook. She moved to sit next to Luke on the couch, and Luke changed the call to speakerphone.

“Hey, Mom,” Leia said.

“Hi, Leia. I just wanted to call you two and give you an update on your father.”

“Did he come back from his bender? I was so worried about him!” Luke said.

“Not exactly,” Padmé said. “I got a call from him in the county jail. He was arrested for disorderly conduct while on drugs.”

“That’s terrible,” Luke said. He could feel the tears pricking at his eyes. “Is he okay?” Leia sat still, her face blank.

“He seemed fine on the phone,” Padmé said. “Unfortunately, I cannot bail him out right now. I’m campaigning, and I can’t afford to miss any of my conferences.”

“Oh, Mom, I can go get him,” Luke said, standing up. He grabbed his shoes and sat down on the floor to put them on.

“Honey, I can’t ask you to do that,” Padmé said. “I didn’t tell you this because I wanted you to go get him. I just wanted you to hear it from me instead of the news or a gossiping friend.”

“We can’t just let him sit in jail until you get back to town, Mom,” Luke said. 

“Luke, I’m sending one of my staff members to bail him out after my conference tomorrow. Your father will be okay,” Padmé said. “Leia, I haven’t heard anything out of you in a while, are you okay?”

Leia chewed her lip in thought. “I’m just frustrated at Dad. He promised he wouldn’t do this again.” She hesitated for a few moments. “I don’t really know what to say,” she said.

“It’s okay to not know, sweetie,” Padmé said. “I don’t expect you two to do anything with this information. I’m sorry you have to deal with this.”

“It’s okay, Mom,” Luke said. “That’s what families do. We support each other always.” Leia gave him a pointed look. 

Padmé sighed. “Okay, kids. I have to go, but I’ll call you in the morning, okay? I’ll give you an update then.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Leia said.

“Love you,” Luke said.

“I love you too, kids,” Padmé said. “Goodnight.”

They hung up the phone, and Luke stood up.

“What are you doing?” Leia asked. 

“Going to get Dad,” Luke said. “It’s cruel just to make him sit there overnight.”

“It’s a three hour drive back home,” Leia said. “How are you going to make it back to class in time?”

Luke shrugged. “I’ll just skip my classes tomorrow. I can stay home with Dad over the weekend until Mom gets home.”

“Luke, that’s ridiculous. You can’t keep sacrificing your education for him. He doesn’t deserve it.”

“How could you say that? He’s our dad!”

Leia got up and snatched the car keys off the counter. “I’m not letting you go.”

Luke held his hand out. “Leia, give me the keys, please.”

“No,” she snapped. “I can’t do that,” she said. “You can’t take the car for the whole weekend anyways. You agreed to let me have it on Saturday to help carpool my volunteer org to Habitat for Humanity.”

“Okay, so you’ll donate your time to strangers, but you won’t help your own dad?”

Leia folded her arms. “He brought this on himself. He had the choice not to go on another bender, but he did.”

“He’s sick, Leia! He needs help.”

“You’re not equipped to give him that help,” Leia said. “The best thing you can do is go to class, make good grades, and prove that a shitty father doesn’t make you shitty too.”

Luke approached his sister. “Give me the keys, you bitch.”

Leia’s face fell, and immediately Luke regretted what he said. “Luke, you know I hate that word.”

Luke opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Leia pointed to the door. “Get out. You are a piece of shit just like Dad.”

Luke flipped Leia off and left, slamming the door behind him.

*~~*~~*

Luke stomped down the street, arms wrapped around himself to block out the November chill. He walked until he felt the anger give way to sadness and regret. He sat down on the curb, fighting back tears. He let the cold seep into his bones. The painful chill felt appropriate. It numbed the sadness. He bit his bottom lip to keep it from quivering and pull out his phone, anything to distract him.

He went to the weather app first, reading the temperature and wind chill. It really wasn’t good for him to be out in this weather. He wanted to get out of the chill, but he didn’t feel like going back to the apartment. Leia obviously needed some space, and Luke was pretty sure he could benefit from space as well. 

On a whim, Luke pulled up his contacts and pressed dial on a number he wasn’t even sure would respond. It rang three times before Luke heard a “Hello?”

“I know you said not to call you or anything, but I don’t have anyone else right now. I’m really sorry. I know it’s late, but I just got kicked out, and I don’t have anywhere to go, so can you please come get me?” Luke could hear his own voice, embarrassingly thick with tears.

“Kid,” Han said. “It’s alright. Just breath. I’ll come get you. Where are you?”

“I’m on the corner of Seventh and Bursey,” Luke sniffled.

“Okay, sit tight,” Han said. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.” The line went dead, and Luke let out a rattling breath. His stomach turned with nerves as his mind warred over that decision. Luke eventually decided to leave it be. It was too late now, and he really did need a place to stay the night. He sat on the curb, twiddling his thumbs until a white Granturismo pulled up in front of him.

Han got out, leaving the car idling. He jogged over to Luke. The archaeology professor was wearing sleep pants and an old sweatshirt under his coat.

“Are you okay?” he asked, helping Luke to his feet. Luke opened his mouth to explain, but instead of words, emotions poured out. Luke burst into tears, and Han wrapped his arms around him.

“Shh,” Han hummed, rubbing Luke’s back. “You must be freezing.”

Luke gave a few more hitching breaths before pulling back. Han took off his coat and draped it around Luke’s shoulders, escorting him back to the car.

Luke got in and was immediately surrounded by the warmth of the car. Han closed the door behind him, and he noticed the older man had preemptively turned the seat heat on for him, letting it warm up on the drive over.” Luke smiled at that, snuggling into the luxurious leather and pulling his seatbelt on. Han slid into the driver’s seat and closed the door. 

“Are you okay?” he asked again.

Luke shrugged. He didn’t dare meet Han’s eyes. “Thank you,” he mumbled. 

“Of course, Luke,” Han replied. He shifted gears, and they drove off towards Han’s house.

They rode in silence until they pulled into Han’s driveway. “I should warn you about my dog,” Han said.

“You have a dog?” Luke asked.

“Uh, yeah. He’s kind of big, but he is very friendly.” Han put the car in park.

Luke looked up at the house, feeling all kinds of memories filter in. The last time he was here, things were completely different, but Luke couldn’t avoid feeling some of those emotions bubble up.

“You didn’t have a dog last time I was here,” Luke mumbled. 

Han blushed. “I did. I had put him in his kennel, so he didn’t bother us,” Han said.

“I didn’t even notice,” Luke said. Han unstrapped his seat belt and turned off the car.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go inside.” Luke followed Han through the front door and was immediately drawn to the massive ball of brown fur awaiting them.

“Back, Chewie,” Han said, sliding the dog across the hardwood floor with his foot. “Let us in.” His voice was stern, but he smiled down at the dog.

Luke instantly dropped to his knees to greet the dog. Chewie approached Luke with excited sniffs. “You named your dog Chewie?” Luke asked.

Han shrugged. “I didn’t name him. He’s a rescue.” Han watched at the dog licked Luke’s face, prompting a laugh from the boy. “He likes you,” Han said.

“I like him, too,” Luke said, allowing himself a smile. He stood up, giving Chewie another affectionate rub on the head.

“So, uh, if you want, I can wash your clothes for you so you have something clean to wear tomorrow,” Han said. Luke could feel the nervousness in his voice.

“That’d be great,” he replied. His voice sounded force, but there was nothing he could do about that now.

“Okay, I’ll get you something to sleep in,” Han said. Luke followed Han to the bedroom and had to swallow hard when he stepped through the threshold. It was almost exactly how he remembered it. He could see the little mark on the wall that he had stared at while getting plowed into the next century. Despite all the negative emotions swirling around him, Luke couldn’t help the arousal burning in his stomach.

“Here,” Han said. He had been digging through his drawers and produced a baggy t-shirt and some sweatpants that looked new. “These should fit you.” He laid them out on the bed and turned to look at Luke. Their eyes locked, and something triggered in them both. They both stood there, unable to move, bound in some sort of soul connection.

Han broke the contact first, and Luke felt a loss of warmth despite still wearing Han’s coat. He fiddled with the zipper subconsciously. 

“Thank you again for doing this,” Luke whispered. “I’m sorry you had to come get me.”

“Luke,” Han said. He crossed over to Luke and put a hand on his arm. “It’s my job to help you. I would never ignore any of my students when they need help.” Gauging Luke’s reaction, Han added, “especially if it’s a student I like as much as I like you.”

Luke chuckled nervously. “Most professors don’t pick up their students late at night because they got kicked out,” he said.

“Do you want to talk about that? Getting kicked out?” Han asked.

“My sister and I had a fight,” Luke said. When Han didn’t respond, he continued. “It was about my dad. He’s really sick. I said some things I regret, but I can’t really ‘un-say’ them. I already hurt her.”

Han’s hand traveled down Luke’s arm until his fingertips brushed at Luke’s wrist. “It seems to me that you’re hurting, too.”

Luke leaned forward, ready to envelop Han in a hug, but Han quickly pulled away. “I’m going to be in the living room. I’m going to watch an episode of Friends before I go to sleep,” Han said. “I’ll take the couch.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Luke said. “I’m the one who needed a place to stay last minute.”

Han smiled gently as he left Luke in the bedroom. “All the more reason for you to get good sleep,” Han said. “Bring me your clothes once you get changed, and I’ll start a load in the washing machine.”

He closed the door behind Luke, and the boy was left alone with his thoughts. He changed into the pajamas and brought the clothes out to Han. The older man took them to the laundry room, and Luke could hear him changing the washing machine settings over the TV.

Han walked back into the living room and was surprised to see Luke still standing there. 

“Go to bed, Luke,” he said gently, sitting down on the couch. 

Luke didn’t move so Han turned around to look at him. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Luke met Han’s gaze with watery eyes. “I’m really sad,” he whispered. His voice was shaky and wet.

“Then come sit,” Han said, patting the cushion next to him. “Watch Friends with me until you’re more tired than sad. Luke obeyed, sitting closer to Han than Han expected.

Luke sniffled and curled into Han’s side. Han allowed one of his hands to find Luke’s hair, petting it gently as Luke leaned into him.

*~~*~~*

As the credits played, Han turned the TV off and looked down at the sleeping boy curled into his chest. Deciding the position would be uncomfortable for Luke long term, Han stood up and scooped the kid up in his arms.

Han carried Luke back to the bed and set him down. Han pulled back the covers and tucked Luke in. He stood up to leave, when a hand caught his wrist.

“Please stay,” Luke mumbled. He looked up at Han with the bluest, sleepiest, saddest eyes. That gaze made Han’s heart melt, and even though his head was screaming for boundaries, Han slid into bed next to Luke and turned out the light on the nightstand. He wrapped his arm around Luke’s waist and allowed the boy to snuggle close. 

Luke’s breathing evened out once again, and Han felt his own eyelids grow heavy. His heart was warm with affection for the young man in his bed. Han pulled him closer, enjoying the way Luke felt against him.

As Han was lightly dozing, he heard the washing machine ding to indicate it was finished with the load. Han stirred, and he got up, intending to move Luke’s clothes to the dryer. As he swung his legs over the side of the bed, he heard a quiet noise from Luke. 

“Don’t go,” Luke mumbled, blinding reaching out for him. Han found Luke’s hand in the dark and gave it a squeeze.

“I’m just moving your laundry over to the dryer,” Han murmured. “I’ll be right back.”

This seemed to appease Luke, who let Han’s hand go and rolled over into the spot where Han had been sleeping.

Han quickly moved the load of laundry, almost forgetting a dryer sheet in his haste. He started the dryer and returned to bed, sliding in behind Luke and wrapping the boy in a warm embrace.

Luke hummed lightly, and Han wasn’t sure whether the he was awake or asleep.

“Goodnight, Luke,” Han whispered, pressing his lips to Luke’s hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, there you go! I hope you liked it. Thank you so so much for reading, and I promise I'll keep posting regular updates as the semester continues (they may not be as common as they were over the summer, but I will make it happen). As always, I appreciate comments, kudos, and any kind of support you can give to this story. Even if it's just hits. Yes, I see all you people who don't interact, and I love/appreciate you regardless. Remember to visit me on tumblr as gyroscopefour if you wanna say hi. I really appreciate all of you, and I hope you have a wonderful day.


	12. Never Kiss and Tell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, and welcome back to another update. Sorry it's been a hot minute. Thermodynamics is really kicking my ass this semester. Here's a quick update so you guys know I'm still committed to this fic.

Luke sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. The other side of the bed was empty, but he could hear the shower running. He grabbed his phone off the nightstand and shuffled into the kitchen. His clothes were folded neatly on the kitchen table. 

Luke stripped out of his borrowed pajamas and began putting his pants on. He was buttoning up his jeans when Han emerged from the bedroom, wearing a fluffy robe.

“Oh, sorry about that,” Han said, averting his gaze. 

Luke could see blush rising in Han’s cheeks. He shrugged, huffing out a laugh. “Nothing you haven’t seen before, Han,” he said.

Han’s eyes flickered to Luke’s bare chest briefly before looking away again. “Do you want some breakfast?” he asked. Luke looked down at his phone. He still had an hour before his first class, which was Archaeology with Han.

“Sure,” he said. He put on his shirt.

Han got two bowls down out of the cabinet and set them at the kitchen table. “Is cereal okay?”

“That’s great, actually,” he said.

Han poured the cereal and got milk from the fridge. Luke bent down to pet Chewie, who had roused from his bed to greet him.

“Do you need to stop by your apartment before class?” Han asked. “To get your books?”

“Uh, yeah,” Luke said, sitting down at the table. Han handed him a spoon. “Thanks.”

They ate breakfast in relative silence. After they had finished, Luke sat on the floor, petting Chewie while Han finished getting ready.

Han walked back into the kitchen with his blue blazer and sleek Oxfords. Luke couldn’t help his smile as he gave Han an appraising look. 

“Ready to go?” Han asked.

“Yeah,” Luke said, giving Chewie one final pat before following Han outside.

The ride to Luke’s apartment was awkward, and they passed the time with small talk about Han’s lesson plan for the day. When they finally pulled up to Luke’s apartment, Luke insisted that Han continue his drive to campus.

“Are you sure?” Han asked. “I can wait.”

Luke shrugged. “Thanks, but it’s no problem. It’s only a few blocks, and I walk this route every day.”

Han looked unsure, but he left Luke anyway, keeping an eye on him in the rear view mirror until he turned to corner.

*~~*~~*

Han was holding late evening office hours when Luke stopped in. The blond was in gym shorts and had his gym bag slung over his shoulder.

Han looked up from his computer and frowned at the boy’s expression. Luke looked distressed.

“What’s wrong, Luke?” he asked.

“Do you still want to be with me?” Luke said.

“I beg your pardon?” Han stood up quickly, ushering Luke into the room and shutting the door behind him.

“Do you still want to be with me?” Luke repeated. “After I take the final?” When Han didn’t respond, Luke shook his head in frustration. “Please answer the question. You haven’t been available much recently, and I don’t want this to continue if you’ve moved on.”

Those sad eyes made Han’s heart melt. “Of course I do, Luke. I can’t wait for that final to be over, so I can kiss you properly.”

Luke’s face lit up. “Really?” Han nodded, and Luke’s face fell into more of a flirty grin. “Why wait?” Luke asked. “I never kiss and tell.”

Han put a finger to his chin and pretended to consider. “I guess you’re right,” he said. He leaned forward and tilted Luke’s chin up. Luke’s eyes fluttered closed as he leaned into Han’s touch.

At the last moment, Han dodged Luke’s lips and pressed a kiss to his cheek instead, right at the corner of his mouth. Han grinned as he pulled away, and sat back down at his desk.

“You’re an ass,” Luke whined, although Han could see the smile on the boy’s face.

“Now, that’s no way to talk to your professor,” Han teased.

Luke stuck his tongue out, his nose wrinkling a little.

“I’ll see you in class, Luke,” Han said.

“Wait, one more thing,” Luke said. Han leaned back in his chair and turned to Luke. “Can I add you on Snapchat?”

Han narrowed his eyes. “How do you know I have a Snapchat?”

“I can see it there,” Luke said, pointing to Han’s phone. It sat on his desk, face up, unlocked, and displaying the little ghost icon amongst the apps.”

“Damn, you got me there,” he said, grabbing his phone and pulling up the snapcode. “Here,” he said, holding his phone out to Luke.

Luke added him and put his phone back in his pocket. “Goodnight, Han.”

“Goodnight, Luke.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Make sure to hit me up on my tumblr gyroscopefour for more of me. I even did a mediocre art piece for chapter 11 which you can find on my tumblr. Please don't judge my art skills though. I hope you have a fantastic day!


	13. Coming Up with Ideas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With only one month left in the semester, Luke's poor grades are starting to worry Han.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, and update in the middle of the week? What? One of my classes got cancelled, so I just decided to write this real quick instead of studying. Who needs to study? Well, here you go. Please enjoy this update, and sorry for any mistakes. I'm just too darn lazy to edit anything that doesn't affect my GPA.

Professor Solo clapped his hands together, clicking to the last powerpoint slide. “Okay, everyone, that is it for today. Remember, there is no class on Wednesday because of Thanksgiving Break, so please enjoy yourselves and don’t forget your essays are due in less than two weeks.” The students were shoving notebooks into their backpacks and already crowding around the exits when Professor Solo said, “Oh, everyone, I posted the midterm grades. Check your gradebook online before you leave for break, please!”

Luke got butterflies in his stomach as he pulled up the gradebook on his phone. The midterm last week had been difficult, but Luke was feeling confident that Han’s tutoring had helped at least a little. The pair had gone back to regular tutoring sessions after Luke had stayed the night at Han’s house.

The gradebook was slow to load, and Luke tapped the archaeology lecture icon as soon as it appeared. The gradebook came up with his new test score at the top of the screen. 40. Luke’s stomach dropped. His average grade was now a 65, just under the passing mark. Luke put his phone down on his desk and packed up his supplies.

He noticed a little blue dot next to his test grade. It was a comment from the professor. Luke tapped the button and it read “Please see me after class or in office hours.” Luke forced the self-pity and shame down and grabbed his backpack, marching down to the front of the lecture hall.

Han was gathering his notes when he saw Luke approaching. His face softened into a weak smile.

“The gradebook said to see you,” Luke murmured.

“Yeah, it did,” Han replied. “Why don’t you follow me over to my office and we can talk there?” Luke nodded and watched Han sort the notes and books into his arms. The pair left the lecture hall and headed across the street to the building with Han’s office. As they were walking up the stairs, Han spoke. “I’m concerned about your grade in my class, Luke.”

“Me too,” Luke said. He followed Han to his office and sat down on the desk as Han closed the door behind him.

“I am very concerned that you won’t pass, and you will have to repeat it next semester.”

Luke swallowed hard. “What can I do to make sure that doesn’t happen?”

Han shrugged. “You could pass the final. If you get a B on the final, you’re almost guaranteed to pass the class at this point.”

“A B seems like a pretty tall order based on my past test grades.”

Han frowned. “What happened on the midterm, Luke? You were doing so well when we drilled practice questions the previous day.” 

Luke let his hand fall pitifully into his lap. “I don’t know,” he said, even though, upon reflection, he knew exactly why he had done poorly. Han had taken advantage of casual Friday on exam day, and Luke couldn’t keep his eyes off Han’s chest in a tight sweater. “I guess I just had a bad day.”

Han gave him a look that said he didn’t quite believe the excuse. “Are you struggling with stuff at home right now? I can’t do anything about the grades that are already in the gradebook, but if you talk to me before other assignments, we can work around your situation.”

Luke chewed on his lip briefly. “It would be lying to say that my family problems are affecting my school work.”

“Then what’s going on in your head?” Han asked.

“I just need to figure out a way to do well on the final. I need that B.”

“Okay, look, kid,” Han said. “I’m only saying this because I’m concerned about your GPA. It’s not too late to drop this class, but if you wait until after Thanksgiving Break, there’s no way to get it off your record. If you go to the dean’s office now, you can get this class off your record. I don’t mean this to imply that I don’t think you can pass this class. I believe you can. I just want you to know that it’s an option if you don’t think you can do it.”

Luke scoffed. “It’s not like an easier class is going to come along so I can get my social sciences credit there. How could I possibly benefit from dropping this class now?”

“We could be together,” Han mumbled, averting his gaze.

“What?” Luke asked.

“If you drop the class right now, we could be together without any consequences.” Han’s eyes flickered to Luke. “You can’t fail this class because retaking it would mean that we can’t be together for another semester.”

Luke reached out and brushed the back of Han’s hand with his fingertips. Han turned his hand over and clasped Luke’s hand in his. Luke gave his professor the most reassuring smile he could muster. “I will do everything in my power to get a B on this final.”

Han smiled back weakly. “You’d better.”

Luke let his smile melt into a sultry grin. “Now I wonder how you’ll reward me if I get an A.”

Han laughed and returned the flirty smile. “Why don’t you get that A and find out?”

“I like how you think,” Luke said, laughing.

“I better start coming up with some ideas,” Han said. He swatted at Luke. “Now get out of here and go study.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate all the love and support from y'all. It helps me appreciate my own writing more. We're coming close to the end of this story, which is kinda sad, but I haven't completed this big of a writing project in such a long time, so I'm super proud. And don't fret; I've still got at least three more chapters worth of drama for you people.


	14. Nothing But Fuzzy Socks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke sends a steamy snap to the wrong person. What will Han do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Thanks for being patient while my upload speed has slowed to "slow as fuck." I really appreciate the support I have gotten on this, so thanks for that. Kind of a short chapter this time. Hope you enjoy this update.
> 
> ***WARNING*** This chapter has brief references to masturbation and some not so brief references to sexting. I don't feel that it is explicit enough to raise the rating, but I wanted to let y'all know before you dive in. Please be aware of this, and read at your own discretion. Thank you!

Thanksgiving break brought chilly weather to the Skywalker household. It also brought Luke and Leia home for a few days. Padmé ran to the car as soon as it pulled up, embracing each of her children as they got out of the car.

“Hi, Mom,” Leia said.

“How’s Dad?” Luke asked.

“Hi, kids,” Padmé said. “Your father is doing well right now. He is upstairs resting. Can I help you carry your bags inside?”

The family unloaded the bags and went inside. They gathered in the living room, shrugging off their coats and scarves. Padmé brews some warm tea for the twins, and they all catch up on each others’ lives.

Later that night, Luke sat on his bed, toweling his hair dry after a relaxing shower. He wiggled his toes in his fuzzy socks and flopped back on his bed. He opened up snapchat and took a selfie with a double chin. He sent it to Biggs with no context. While he waited for a response, he scrolled through his phone, looking for something interesting. Deciding he had nothing better to do, he pulled up some porn, scrolling for something that piqued his interest. He watched a few short videos, rubbing himself through his briefs, before deciding he wanted a different type of viewing material. He opened snapchat again and took a picture of his briefs stretched tight across him. He smirked at his fuzzy socks in the background of the photo. He captioned it “missing you” and then tapped at Janek’s name to send it. He figured if anyone was down for a late night sext, it would be him.

The snap sent, and the name on the screen made his stomach drop. He had accidentally sent it to Professor Solo. Immediately, he covered his camera and sent several follow-up snaps with captions like “oh fuck” and “not for you!” and “I’m so sorry.” He could feel the flush rising in his cheeks, but he was still hard. After so many apology snaps, Luke felt the knot in his stomach release a bit. Then he looked back at the phone screen and saw that Professor Solo had opened them. His stomach clenched back up.

*~~*~~*

Han was in the middle of binge-watching Friends when his phone blew up. He unlocked it to see seven snaps - make that eight - from Luke. He opened them, and his mouth dropped open. That was Luke in his underwear, and he was hard. Han stared until the snap timed out, and the image switched to a black screen and profuse apologies. Han read all the messages and then chewed his lip, unsure of the best course of action.

Maybe it was all the wine he had earlier, or maybe not, but Han shimmied out of his sweatpants and sent a picture back to Luke. He had to adjust his boxers so the fabric was tight where he wanted it to be tight. He captioned it “look what you do to me.” He hit send and held his breath. 

Luke’s reply came quickly. It was another black screen with the caption “are we really doing this?”

Han took a video of himself playing with the waistband of his boxers. He muted it so Luke wouldn’t be able to hear Monica and Chandler talking in the background, and typed out “if you want to, hot stuff.”

The next snap from Luke showed the younger man wearing nothing but his fuzzy socks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Your support means so much to me. <3


	15. Butterflies in His Stomach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final exam season approaches. Can Luke pass his Archaeology exam so he can finally begin a real relationship with Professor Solo?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being patient y'all. Here comes another update. We're almost done here - one more chapter, I think. I really appreciate y'all's support on this piece. It makes me happy. Please enjoy.

There were only three weeks of class after Thanksgiving break. With final exams approaching, Luke found himself checking his grades obsessively. Constantly refreshing the gradebook on his phone. His grades were low, especially his Archaeology grade.

He avoided visiting Han in his office hours. They exchanged flirty glances during lecture and steamy pictures on lonely nights.

Luke reclined in bed and closed out Snapchat. Han wasn’t responding, but Luke could forgive him for not replying immediately on a Friday night. He pulled up the gradebook instead and refreshed the page. Still no change. Luke sighed and locked his phone, dropping it on his stomach.

He got up and walked to the bathroom to brush his teeth. While he was rinsing his mouth, he heard the happy noise of a Snapchat notification. Luke quickly finished and returned to his phone. The snap was from Leia. Luke felt a little guilty for his disappointment.

*~~*~~*

Lando smiled over the rim of his glass. “Who is blowing up your phone, Mr. Popular?” he asked.

Han locked his phone and put it face down on the table between them. “No one I wanna talk to you about.”

Lando gave Han a look. “I don’t wanna know. I’m not gonna be called into the dean’s office to testify if you get in trouble for your relationship with that kid.”

Han scoffed. “It’s not a relationship. We both agreed to hold off until he is done with my class.”

Lando took another drink. “Then why do you make that excited face every time your phone goes off?”

“I don’t. I’m just hoping he won’t fail my class. Luke’s grades are borderline, and if he doesn’t make a B on the final, he’ll fail.”

“At least you’re not giving him preferential treatment,” Lando said.

Han scowled. He finished the drink in his hand and then took Lando’s drink, finishing that too.

*~~*~~*

The final weeks of the semester flew by. On the last day of class, the university released the final exam schedule. Luke eagerly pulled up the email, searching for Archaeology first. As soon as that final was over, he was free to be with Han.

To his dismay, Luke discovered his Archaeology final was on December 21, the last day of finals. 

He sent a screencap to Han with a frowny face.

“More time for you to study,” came Han’s text reply. “You need a B to pass, but if you get an A, I’ll let you call all the shots our first night together.” Han followed up that text with a winky face.

Luke smiled at the texts, feeling excited butterflies in his stomach. “I’ve already got a few ideas in mind,” he texted back.

Luke drew up a clear study guide for Archaeology, listing all the topics he needed to cover. He proceeded to make flashcards and reread important sections of the textbook. With Han’s support, Luke set aside time each day to study for Archaeology. He took his other finals and kicked ass. 

The night before the exam, Luke put away his study materials and sent a snap to Han of his smiling face. “I’m gonna ace the exam tomorrow,” was the caption.

Han sent back a dark photo with a smiling emoji and the caption “Go to bed, hotshot. You have to wake up early.”

Luke smiled and put his phone down. He changed into his pajamas and shuffled into the living room to check the locks on the front door. Leia was curled up on the couch, watching her latest Netflix Original obsession. She had finished finals the day before, but she decided to wait for Luke to drive home.

Luke locked the deadbolt and turned around to go back to his bedroom. Leia waved at him as he walked by. The Leia’s phone went off, startling both twins.

“It’s Mom,” Leia said. Luke moved to sit next to her on the couch as Leia answered the call. “Hi, Mom. Luke’s here with me. What’s going on?”

“Hi, babies,” Padmé said through the speaker. “I wanted to wait until you got home, but your father is really sick. I think he’s headed into a relapse and I need help. I know Luke has one more final, but I could really use your help, Leia. Can you come home tonight?”

“I’ll be home in about twenty hours anyway with Luke,” Leia said. “Is it urgent?” 

“Yes,” Padmé said. Her voice was tense and shaky. “He overdosed this evening on pain meds. I don’t even know where he got them. I’m at the hospital with him right now. Work is pressuring me to back off because it isn’t good for my campaign. But I can’t leave him alone. Leia, I really need you home.”

Leia looked conflicted. 

“Is Dad okay?” Luke jumped in.

“He’s gonna live,” Padmé replied. “But the doctors say he will have to stay in the hospital for several more days and they may transfer him to a rehab facility pending a psych evaluation.”

“Do you need us both to come home? I can reschedule my final.”

Padmé sighed. “I just need someone to sit with him, so I can do damage control with my campaign manager. With these incoming hospital bills, my campaign is more important than ever.”

“I’ll come home,” Leia said. “I’m leaving right now. Be home soon, Mom,” Leia said, hanging up. She stood up, and started gathering her things.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come?” Luke asked. “I can talk to my professor about my final exam. We have a good relationship you know.”

Leia whirled around. “Stop trying to sacrifice yourself for Dad. I can’t deal with you right now. Just take your test and don’t talk to your professor. Better yet, stay away from him forever. You can’t just project all your daddy issues onto him and expect him to make it better. He’s not the one, Luke.”

Leia grabbed her keys and jacket, and she left, slamming the door behind her.

Luke sat on the couch, stunned. After a few minutes, he came back to himself. Leia’s words stung. Luke relatched the deadbolt on the door and went back to his room. 

Sleep did not come easily.

*~~*~~*

When Luke woke up, he saw several missed calls and unread texts from Leia. He opened the texts and read, “I’m so sorry, Luke. I didn’t mean to, I was just so angry. Please forgive me. I reported you and your prof to the dean last night. I’m so sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Keep an eye out for the next (and probably final) update on this fic. I really appreciate all your support and love. Kudos and comments make me feel all happy inside. :)


	16. Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke takes his final and then gets questioned about his relationship with Han.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg I'm so sorry this is so late! These last few weeks of school hit me hard, but I guess this is appropriate timing since it's now final exam season. Thanks for being patient with me, and I hope you enjoy the final installment of this work.

Luke flew out of bed. He pulled Han’s name up in his contacts and pressed the call button. He held his phone up to his ear, hearing it ring. He waited with baited breath, but it went to voicemail. Luke hung up and tried again, whispering “pickuppickuppickup,” until it went to voicemail again. Luke cursed, but waited for the tone this time.

“Han, the dean knows about us. One of my friends snitched. I’m sorry. I know we haven’t done anything while I was your student, but this could still be really bad. Just be careful, okay? I’ll be at the final in thirty minutes.”

Luke started getting ready, feeling his stomach churn. He wasn’t sure if it was nerves for the test or worry about Han. He tried not to think about what could happen if the dean took the claim seriously. He could be expelled. Luke cringed at the thought of his family’s reaction to that. They were all fine with his attraction to men, but he doubted they’d be so understanding of an inappropriate student-teacher relationship.

Maybe it will be fine, Luke thought as he stuffed his pens and a granola bar in his bag. Technically, they didn’t do anything inappropriate while Han was his teacher. Their one night stand prior to the start of class couldn’t possibly count. Luke drank some water to settle the sick feeling in his stomach and grabbed his review sheet to look over on the walk to the exam room. He shouldered his bag and grabbed his keys off the hook on his way out the door. Whether or not the dean had a quarrel with Luke’s relationship with Han, Luke had an exam to take.

*~~*~~*

Han shifted as he felt the vibrating of his phone in his pocket. He had awoken to an email from the dean, requesting his presence immediately. Han had replied back that he could meet the dean after he administered his final exam. The dean’s response had been quick, ordering Han to meet him right then. Han had dropped his exams off with his TA and headed over to the dean’s office.

That had been how he had wound up sitting in front of the dean and an academic advisor. Dean Yoda was a short old man with only a few wispy white hairs on his head.

“Do you understand the allegations brought against you?” Advisor Willard asked.

Han arched an eyebrow. “You mean the allegations where you wrongly accused me of having an illicit affair with one of my students? I understand that they are very incorrect.”

Advisor Willard sighed and Dean Yoda rubbed his face slowly.

“These are very serious allegations, Professor Solo,” Advisor Willard said. “We don’t take these things lightly. You could be in some serious trouble here.”

Han shook his head. “Look, I didn’t do anything that would compromise my ethical standpoint as an educator.”

Advisor Willard frowned deeply, lines creasing into his face. “Have you or have you not had sexual relations with Luke Skywalker?”

Han scoffed. “Not while I was his professor.”

“But you admit that the two of you had an intimate relationship?”

Han rolled his eyes. “It was a one night stand that was mutually exclusive of our educational relationship. It happened over the summer vacation. When it turned out that he was in my class, we both agreed to keep our relationship professional.” Han stopped there, feeling smug that he had managed to tell the truth without incriminating himself.

Advisor Willard gave Han a suspicious look. “And you had no kind of intimate relationship during the academic semester?”

Han shook his head. “I treated him exactly how I would have treated any other student in his situation.” Han could feel himself relaxing. It was a stretch of the truth, but not a lie exactly.

“And what, exactly, is his situation?”

“A student struggling academically. A student who asked me to help him learn the material.” Han had to force down his smirk. He was pretty sure he had this in the bag.

Dean Yoda nodded slowly. He fixed Advisor Willard with a firm stare. “Bring Skywalker, you will.” Advisor Willard nodded and started for the door.

Han stood up. “You can’t bring him in now,” he said. “He’s about to take my final.”

Advisor Willard nodded. “I’m going to go to the exam room and wait for Luke to finish. Then I’ll bring him here.”

*~~*~~*

Luke’s stomach tightened as the TA handed out the exams. Luke took one exam from the stack he got from the person to his left and passed the rest down the row. He put his name and student ID on the front page and flipped it open.

He read the first question.

He actually knew the answer! He circled choice A and moved to the next one. He knew that one too! The knot in Luke’s stomach unravelled as he flew through the test.

*~~*~~*

Han watched through the window, and he could hear Lando’s muffled voice. “I knew that Han liked the kid. But he also said he was keeping it professional. I told him not to get involved with the kid and he said he wouldn’t. As far as I know, they maintained a strict student-teacher relationship. Nothing went on that I know of.”

Han breathed a sigh of relief. Lando’s cold cut honestly was hard to refute, and it seemed like the dean was convinced. He said something to Lando that Han didn’t catch, and then Lando stood up. He left the office. As he passed by Han he said, “I told you so.”

He sat down in one of the chairs in the hall. “They want me to wait here in case they have more questions,” Lando said.

Han sat down in the chair next to Lando. “I haven’t done anything to him.”

“I know,” Lando said.

*~~*~~*

Han pressed his ear against the door, listening to the voice of Luke’s friend.

“Look, it was just harmless flirtation. They didn’t do anything. Trust me, I would know about it,” Biggs said to Dean Yoda.

Dean Yoda’s voice was quiet, so Han couldn’t hear him well. At Lando’s gesture, Han moved away from the door, pretending to pace the hall. Biggs came out of the room and made awkward eye contact with Han. They didn’t each any words as Biggs walked past Lando and Han and continued down the hall to the elevator.

Han puffed out a nervous breath. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to his TA to remind him to grade Luke’s test and get the score back as soon as Luke handed it in.

*~~*~~*

Luke turned in his test to the TA, feeling high on excitement of good test. Naturally, there were questions the Luke didn’t know, but overall, he felt really good. As long as he got at least a B, he would pass. Luke’s heart fluttered at the possibility of being with Han.

As he left the room, a man stopped him in the hall. “Luke Skywalker?” the man asked.

“That’s me,” Luke said slowly. “Is everything alright?”

“I’m Advisor Willard,” the man said. “If you don’t mind coming with me, the dean has a few questions about your relationship with Professor Solo.”

“No no no, this is all a misunderstanding, see?” Luke said. Advisor Willard started down the hall, and Luke chased after him. “My sister was mad at me, so she put in a false report to get back at me. She apologized to me. It was no big deal.”

Advisor Willard huffed. “It is a big deal. Professor Solo has admitted he has feelings for you, and it is important that we ascertain the details of your relationship.”

Luke was taken aback. “What did he say exactly? About our relationship, I mean.”

“I’m not at liberty to discuss Professor Solo’s private statements with you.”

Luke trotted after the advisor, pestering him with unanswered questions all the way across the quad. Advisor Willard remained silent for the rest of the walk. Luke followed him into the building with the dean’s office and up the stairs. They walked down a long hallway, and Luke saw Han at the end.

Han gave him a concerned look, and Luke returned it with a weak smile. They didn’t say anything as Advisor Willard escorted Luke into the dean’s office. Willard closed the door and gestured for Luke to have a seat.

Luke made sheepish eye contact with Dean Yoda. 

“Mr. Skywalker, do you understand what constitutes an inappropriate relationship with a member of the university faculty?” Advisor Willard asked.

“Could you go over them?” Luke asked.

“If you have had any type of sexual contact with Professor Solo, you are in violation of the academic honesty and fairness clause of our university.”

Luke remained silent.

“Have you ever had sexual contact with Professor Solo, Mr. Skywalker?”

“I’m pretty sure you can’t ask me that,” Luke said.

“Just answer the question,” Advisor Willard snapped.

“What defines ‘sexual contact?’” Luke asked, using air quotes.

“Any adult contact while you were a student of Professor Solo,” Advisor Willard said. “Need I be more specific?”

Luke let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. “Oh, I’m good then. Nothing happened while I was his student.”

Advisor Willard and Dean Yoda exchanged glances. Advisor Willard went around the desk and leaned in while the dean whispered to him. Luke strained to hear, but he couldn’t make out any words specifically. Then they pulled away. “Get Han Solo, you will,” Dean Yoda said.

Advisor Willard stepped out into the hall and came back with Professor Solo. Han looked nervous. He was sweating under the fluorescent office lights. Luke tried a hopeful shrug in Han’s direction.

“It appears both of you have stated that there has been no sexual contact between the two of you throughout the course of your academic relationship,” Advisor Willard said. “However, it is also clear that you have come very close to breaking your vows of academic honesty.”

Luke and Han both tensed.

“On that note,” Advisor Willard continued, “since there is no evidence of inappropriate conduct, you will only receive marks of concern on your permanent records. You will also receive letters from the university president about your actions. You will not receive any disciplinary measures at this time. You are free to go."

Luke stood up with a huge smile on his face.

“Thank you, Dean Yoda, Advisor Willard,” Han said.

They left the room together. Walking down the hall, Luke nudged Han with his shoulder. 

“What?” Han asked, looking down at the boy.

“We did it,” Luke said. “I thought we were gonna get in huge trouble.”

“Me too,” Han admitted. They walked down the stairs and out the door. Luke slipped his hand into Han’s and held tight. Han squeezed his hand gently.

As they walked across the street, Han’s phone dinged with a message.

“What’s that?” Luke asked as Han pulled his hand away to unlock his phone.

“Your test score,” Han said, smiling. He held up the photo his TA had sent. It had the cover page of Luke’s test and right next to his name, there was a big 94. An A+. Enough to bring up Luke’s grade to a B.

“I passed,” Luke said with a smile. 

“You did more than just pass, Luke. I knew you could do it.” Luke wrapped his arms around Han in a crushing hug. “Stop hugging me, so I can kiss you,” Han said.

Luke smiled up at Han. Han leaned in, closing his eyes. He could feel Luke’s breath across his lips when suddenly, Luke pulled away.

“Wait,” he said, grabbing Han’s wrist. “Over here.” He pulled Han across the street, stopping on the sidewalk.

“Why over here?” Han asked.

“Because this side of the street is officially off campus. The dean has no jurisdiction here.”

Han chuckled. “You’re so smart,” he said.

“Well, I had a pretty good professor,” Luke replied, sliding his hands around Han’s waist, lacing his fingertips behind Han and pulling him close.

Han leaned in again, watching those blue eyes until they fluttered closed. When their noses brushed, Han stopped and whispered “can I kiss you?”

Luke exhaled and smiled brightly. “Please,” he said.

Han closed the rest of the distance, grabbing Luke’s shoulders to steady himself. And then Han couldn’t focus on anything but the hands drifting up his back and the tongue in his mouth. It was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate all your support. Lots of love!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are always appreciated. Please feel welcome to send me a message on my tumblr, gyroscopefour. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story, prompts/ideas, or anything else you'd like to share. Thanks!


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